#Ara gets asked
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okay i do understand that a large part of this is just being how the timeline plays out, i get that, i really do, but sometimes i do think about john winchester being a soldier and training his sons to be soldiers but also john was specifically a soldier in vietnam and whooo boy that man sure did fall into the monster vs human mindset real fast and i think about how military men in the show are repeatedly shown to be uniquely suited to hunting and who did they hunt again? why are they so good at hunting? who did they have experience hunting while they were in the military?
and the show never even comes close to unpacking this and you know what i get that i really do because i do not want to unpack it either but here we fucking are, aren't we?
#ara rambles#spn#john winchester#like. you know. american imperialism is inherently tied to american masculinity#so this is the natural conclusion of that#but also#john was in vietnam jake was in iraq and cole was uh? in several countries one of which was afghanistan i think?#what'd you do there boys#howd you get so good at hunting boys#their wartime experience was only ever vague you know#a way to frame them as ââheroesââ#but you know#those were specific wars where specific things were done#it really is easier to shoot first and ask questions later when you dont think of the things you're shooting as human#and hey quick question where'd you get so good at firing guns?
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SIGNALIS Big Teef Fic Preview!
Did anybody want a fic with the Big Teef? No? Well, too bad, you're getting one anyway. Have a taste!
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"Hey, when were you going to tell me you have fangs?"
Elster pauses, having just gotten engrossed in a scene of tense questioning. "Excuse me?"
Ariane sits beside her at the table, lays down the Replika overview, leans her elbows on it and rests her chin on folded hands, giving the Replika a look that to any Gestalt would be similar to a parent wanting to know why their kids didn't do what was asked of them â or rather, like she's taken on the role of detective in the midst of questioning. Elster lifts her eyebrows, waiting for an explanation.
Ariane elaborates as if telling an anecdote from her Rotfront years. "I looked through the Replika overview again to see if there was anything I could pick up to help you out, or do something for you, when... in the corner of my little eye, I spy... a schematic. A schematic, El Bell. Of retractable canine teeth. Which you are in possession of, and neglected to inform me."
Elster closes her eyes, knowing where this is going.
"Ariane."
"Now, I don't ask the time of day from a clock..."
"Liebchen."
"But I'm not shy about how hot I am for nibbles and love bites..."
"Light of my life."
"And you didn't think to tell me? When were you going to tell me?"
"Settle down, dramatic. They're for self-defense, not for sexy time. Besides, it's not even unique to LSTRs â all Replikas have them."
Ariane blinks in surprise. "Wait, seriously? Even Eules?" Having such teeth makes sense for a Storch or Star, but an Eule?
"Absolutely. I once heard that a secretary unit back at headquarters almost bit the fingers off an untrained Storch who got too ugly with her. Not sure how it ended, but I like to think Frau BeiĂer got off with a warning and the Storch never lived it down. Self-defense, like I said. With combat units it's a last resort in case one runs out of ammunition or doesn't have a melee weapon ready."
Ariane's eyes widen. Eules always looked so delicate to her with how lightly they carried themselves, but it seems even those domestic units are made of sterner stuff than expected. Her eyes lower to Elster's mouth. Elster gives her a knowing look.
"No."
"I didn't say anything!"
"You have that 'in the interest of science' look on your face."
"I just want to see them for myself! There's nothing wrong with that! Show me, please? It's not like I'll ever see them in a combat situation, unless we get picked up by aliens or something."
Elster stares. Ariane stares back, pleading and doe-eyed, just seconds away from deploying the dreaded pouty bottom lip. Elster gives in, of course. She can never really refuse humoring her love, so she teasingly grouses like it's such a chore.
"Ach, fine."
Ariane tries not to drum her fingers happily while Elster pops the mandibles in her jaw, mouth opening. Nothing out of the ordinary, just 28 white teeth â go figure Replikas aren't manufactured with wisdom teeth â and then Elster curls her lips back wolfishly, her canines extending with an audible click.
There is, of course, the knee-jerk flicker of saucy fascination since Ariane does so love when Elster bites her, but in the moment it's also tempered by actual scientific curiosity. Elster's lengthened teeth are only sharp at the very tips, as Ariane knows from experience, so while they probably can pierce through flesh or biomechanical components they must be intended for crushing and tearing, clamping down and keeping a steady grip thanks to powerful jaws.
A rather specific detail from the Replika overview comes to mind: the LSTR unit has a bite force of 1250 PSI at minimum. Ariane's heard of certain Vinetan animals having a comparable bite, capable of piercing through the skulls of their prey. The knowledge of this results in a revelatory daydream of hostile alien forces intercepting their little ship and abducting Ariane, causing Elster to crush an extraterrestrial skull or spine between her teeth as she goes in a rampaging rescue...
"Ari," Elster drawls. The extended fangs seem to mess with her speech, an added lisp causing her accent to border on nonsensical. "Ye hab dat look."
Ariane shakes her head. "I wasn't thinking of anything sexy this time, honest!"
"Uh-huh. Cad I pud dese away now? Iz hahd to talk."
#signalis#preview#ariane yeong#elster 512#why yes i do like to imagine elster CHOMPING DOWN on her enemies and dragging them around with her teeth. why do you ask?#kolibri compensate for being so tiny by having a jaw like a thylacine. they open FUCKEN WIDE. and WILL bite your ankles.#storch like to bite metal as a jaw exercise. it looks funny until they bend the metal. and they will bite during interrogations.#mynahs like to compare their tusks to those of an old vinetan movie about a giant turtle. because turtle is friend to all children!#stars have the triangular shark style teef for intimidation. some paint teef on their masks. the mask is to protect YOU from THEM.#ara teef are mostly to keep anyone who Isn't Allowed outside their tunnels. mind your fingers.#eules have 'vampire style' teef because gestalts think it's oddly cute on them. do not be fooled. if she wanna go off she'll do some damage#falkes have oni style retractable tusks. because it's cool and intimidating and sexy and easily distinguishable and tusks are SCARY.#adlers don't have big teef because they're administrators but they do still have strong jaws. some will sharpen their teef to emulate falke#those adlers are cool and like to Get Shit Done so they can go back to doing their own thing and stim in peace.#thank you for coming to my ted talk
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*Semi-spoilers*
Sreedy, why do you not love me? Why must you hurt me so? I am on Chap 12 and still get get over the death that happened in Chap 6. Like this felt like the Boots betrayal all over again. You made me like this character. Then *boom* dead.
You couldn't even give them a cool death? Not one where they could sacrifice themselves for the greater good?
Then... AND THEN.... you didn't even talk about them in your Author's notes?! (Because of this, I'm holding on to the delusion that they are still alive-somehow)
In my mind, Sokka was just confused. Or this character had a clone or something. They are not death (I have to believe this for my sanity)
When I catch you, Ricky, when I catch you.... đ«”đœđ
Alright, off to the chapter đ«¶đœ (still am obsessed with the story)
I feel like Shens death either hits people really hard or not at all. Youâre spiraling in the ao3 comments about him is seriously so funny. Youâre not the only one who isnât over his death & I am so sorry! (Iâm not actually sorry haha Shen was always gunna die but I did allow him to make it all the way to book 3! So yayyyy?)
Ok!! So I actually purposely didnât give him a dramatic death because unfortunately he was a common foot soldiers and people viewed him as expendable because of that & he was tossed aside like garbage the moment his purpose was served.
& YOU CANT CATCH THE RICKY THE RICKY CATCHES YOUUUUUU MWAHAHAHA :D
thanks for the ask Dr sue lou I hope you continue to enjoy hehe
#Shens & boots death really fucked with some people#I get you attached to these characters and then BOOM dead#But in my defenseâŠ.. itâs a fic about war#And people die in war even if we like them and know their names#I still have an entire battle to goâŠ.#There are a lot of lives at stake!#*pats Reho & Rasus & changs head* & I still got these ocs#& Lynn and Ara!!!#Hahaha >:) not to even MENTION the main cast#*side eyes bato and jee*#You have no idea how bad itâs gunna get I CANT WAIT#FINAL STRECH TO THE END#WHO WILL MAKE IT OUT ALIVE?!?!#*saw voice* let the games begin#Thanks for the ask Iâm so sorry I use your kind words to harass you#I canât help it Iâm an asshole#Liab#leaving it all behind#ITF#ask#dr-sue-lou
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would you mind telling me about your blonde oc? they seem cool :]
(no pressure tho) (def no ulterior motives)
i like how i know exactly who you're talking about despite having several blonde ocs. ok this is Ara! (really sorry if this makes no sense btw. and im really sorry this is so long)
Ok so I dunno how to explain Ara without going into depth on parts of the magic system. To put it simply, there are three magic systems: Divine, Singing, and Fairy. Ara was born of a race of divine beings, the Viltivlynli, giving her a "divine heart"(the latent ability for divine magic. it is not "awakened" tho, meaning she cant use any divine magic)
Fairy magic is embodied by fairies, who are beings that represent different natural things(ex: for every tree, there's a fairy, for every rock, there's a fairy, for every cloud, there's a fairy). Fairies that embody more prominent or large natural things are more powerful(ex: the sun, all bodies of water, all forests), and rule over the lesser fairies. Fairies can, if they want to, dissolve their essences and merge it with a child being born, creating a Swirlvein. This kills the fairy, but gives the child fairy magic proportional to how powerful the fairy was. Upon Ara's birth, the fairy of the sun underwent this process, giving Ara fairy magic.
Now Singing magic is an elemental magic system, working on the principle that there are seven entities that embody the seven elements(winter, sky, light, shadow, earth, fire, and water) in their entirety, and there are seven slightly weaker "mirror" entities to check the seven elemental ones. These fourteen entities are naturally on a different plane of existence than the "Waking"(the normal plane), and the only impact they have is the magical Singing energy they emit, allowing normal Singer mages to harnass and use it. However, the entities can, when someone is being born, attatch themselves to the child. This brings them slightly closer to the Waking, and permanantly alters the child, physically, mentally, and magically. The child is now extremely powerful and magically volatile, and can channel the power of the entity bonded to them into the Waking(but not too much, or they will "Fray" and burn up). Emotion triggers this magic. The elements also have different ideals attatched to them(ex: winter is purity, logic, and solitude, water is destruction, layers, and fear), the entities embodying the purest forms of these ideals in personality. The child they bond to is thus changed to embody these ideals as well, though to a less extreme degree than the entity. Ara was born bonded to the entity of Fire(called Lis), and Fire's ideals are caprice, whimsy, emotions, creation, and fury. This altered her psyche to match these ideals, though not to a completely extreme degree. People bonded to these elemental entities are called the Lifalrarothli.
(these beings of magic(fairies, elemental entities) generally want to find the most powerful host possible, so when one child is bonded to an entity, more will attempt to bond it. This means that there are just several extremely op people running around, and Ara is unfortunately one of them.)
ALRIGHT NOW INTO WHATS UP WITH ARA
So continuing with my theme of magic=neurodivergency from all of the energy altering how their brains work, Ara was born pretty fucked up from all of this. To make it worse, the Viltivlynli(the divine race she was born into, they rule the main continent.) had just had a pretty bad experience with the last two Lifalrarothli(Luthralani and Irsewyn, winter and sky respectively, both went batshit and caused a cataclysmic storm that messed everything up before Irsewyn died and Luthralani started a revolt and a new rebel kingdom in the north.) SO the Viltivlynli weren't too happy when Ara, a new Lifalraroth, and a volatile one at that was born.
Now, they decided that they had given Luthralani and Irsewyn too much freedom, and that isolating Ara would work until she went insane(the Viltivlynli think that around the age of 18-24, the Lifalrarothli go insane or catatonic.) So Ara was basically kept in a room and guarded by priests for most of her life, up until she was seventeen. Despite this, she had managed to make three friends. Aurtaral, a high ranking Viltivlyn who was actually bonded to her twin entity.(those are the ones meant to counter the elemental ones. the Viltivlynli think those and the people they are bonded to are stable and good, since they are less powerful and can stop the elemental ones.) He was basically sent in to chat with her occasionally, try to stop her from losing it, and they ended up becoming friends. Aurtaral's pretty serious, has a strong sense of justice, and wants to do his part to help the world. Another friend was Fesi, Aurtaral's kind of sister, who wasn't bonded to anything, but did have the latent divine magic that all Viltivlynli had. She was a kind of loose cannon, cheerful and jaded, not listening to anyone, which annoyed everyone. The next friend was Senatha, Fesi's girlfriend who was a really accomplished swordswoman. She has a big complex about needing to constantly doing whatever she can to help people, and is interesting, because she's a spy for Luthralani, the rebel Lifalraroth of winter who is in charge of the kingdom in the north defying the VIltivlynli.
Alright, so at this point, Ara's really really messed up. All of the qualities given to her by her magic(emotion, caprice, etc.) have been pushed to even more extremes by her isolation. She's desperate for any kind of connection, has a lot of self loathing due to her magic(which she thinks is her fault), and is terrified of going insane. She's also intellectually disabled. She's a ticking time bomb, and when she's seventeen, the start of the story, it goes off. When she and Aurtaral are hanging out, Aurtaral makes a tiny comment about wanting the best for her, and everything shes been holding in spills out and its not pretty. She's yelling about how clearly he doesn't, since he hasn't done anything to help her, or how he hasn't used his influence to get her out of this room. And since her magic is triggered by emotion, she's setting shit on fire and growing messed up plants and causing storms. This causes a panic, Aurtaral runs, and the guards get her under control eventually and put her in a solid iron room for a few months(iron stifles magic).
In there, it's her, her elemental entity Lis(who is incoporeal and only visible to her), and a random wind fairy named Brigit who's been following her around(and definitely isn't spying for Luthralani.) Ara is distraught and hates what she did and is spiraling into a lot of self-loathing. But Lis is furious and says Ara was completely in the right and should have killed the guards. Brigit is on board with Lis, but Ara doesn't like Brigit because Brigit keeps messing with her.
Eventually she's let out, and is pretty tentative, Aurtaral's still kinda mad at her, Fesi feels bad for her, and Senatha secretly approaches her with a proposition. Senatha says that if she wants to have better living conditions, if she wants to have freedom, and if she wants to help the world, she could switch sides and join Luthralani's rebel kingdom. (Luthralani's rebel kingdom and the VIltivlynli are basically in a cold war currently.) Ara, though initially horrified, thinks it over, with Lis and Brigit both urging her to join. She eventually asks if she could meet with Luthralani, just to see what they're like before deciding, and Senatha agrees.
So Luthralani arranges for them to dream-meet up and chat about her decision, and they both show up. Ara is immediately awed by Luthralani(Luthralani has all three kinds of magic, but unlike Ara, their divine heart is awakened and can be used.) and asks what it'll be like if she joins them. Luthralani says she will be honored, since Lifalrarothli are well respected in their kingdom. They say Ara will be granted more freedom, will be taught by them personally how to control their power, and will have the opportunity to fight against the Viltivlynli who hurt her(though they don't emphacize that bit yet). Ara is basically immediately sold, both by what Luthralani is saying and by Luthralani, because the way Ara sees it, Luthralani and her are the same, and Luthralani's saying there's nothing wrong with her, and she can give good things to the world. Luthralani is validating Ara and all the things she's thought about and feels guilty about.
So Ara is now working with Luthralani, but still doesn't want to leave the VIltivlynli just yet, so she sticks around, and finds herself growing angrier at Aurtaral and the Viltivlynli, with Luthralani and Brigit's egging on. I think this is getting way too long so I'll cut it short and just say that eventually she gives herself away and she and Senatha have to run away to Luthralani's kingdom, causing collateral damage in the process, breaking the cold war and launching the continent into war. Aurtaral grows really angry and decides that Ara went insane and is being manipulated, and needs to be killed for everyone's safety, though hes sad about it. Fesi gets sad for letting her friend group fall apart, then decides she's not gonna let that happen to anyone else, and starts a secret anti-war organization that smuggles refugees into safe locations. Meanwhile Ara is really happy in Luthralani's kingdom; she's made some friends(Eskarisai and Ki'Taolu), and she's started working as part of the war effort against the VIltivlynli. This means she's zipping around and burning cities to help Luthralani, who's she's grown really dependant on for affection. She's also really clingy to her new friends, and they're all a little scared of her. She's really pissed at Aurtaral and the VIltivlynli now, as Luthralani has almost fully convinced her that they're pure evil and she should set them on fire.
ANYWAY im gonna stop there(around 1/3 of the way through the series, im really sorry if this is confusing or too long but THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ASKING I LOVE TALKING ABOUT HER IF YOU HAVE ANYMORE QUESTIONS PLEASE ASK ME
#there was a lot of stuff i didn't get to go into#like most of the books#the other four protagonists#whatever the fuck is going on with Luthralani Mirl and Viki'i Aur#and some of the magic stuff#like how the elemental entities can only attatch to a child that's about to be stillborn#my ocs#ocs#original characters#original character#ocposting#asks!!!#ara#kill the pious
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I saw a theory on reddit about maybe Arajin having suffered child abuse in relation to his father, you know, I don't know if the anime goes this way but I'm a little incredulous about this theory because it's a sensitive topic of triggers. Sorry, send this question, I know this topic is a little sensitive, but I really like your analysis. I would appreciate it if you answered. If you can't answer, I'll understand too.
hmm i'm a bit incredulous myself, given how little time would be left in the series to properly deal with a new aspect of arajin's character and how flippantly his father is treated by ara's mother in the most recent episode. i don't think this idea is totally misguided, though. in fact, I think it's probably likely we get some justification for ara's father's absence in either episode eleven or twelve, since ten bothered to bring him up at all.
personally, I think a more likely backstory is that ara's father left at some point, and that impacts ara as a person by way of his warped desire for 'forever romance' (someone correct me if some outside source contradicts this reading). an abandonment would tie in neatly to arajin's own issues with running away from adversity. it would be a cool character moment for ara to finally analyze why he acts the way he does and actively try to change it in the finale. it could also be a potential bonding moment with senya. we're definitely going to be getting the ichiya senya breakup lore in episode eleven, so a moment of reciprocal vulnerability from ara could be a road to his relationship with senya growing stronger.
as an aside: now that i'm thinking about it, ara and his mother are quite similar. they're both comedically hopeless romantics. his mother seems to still be totally smitten with his father despite him seemingly being out of the picture (long work trip? left? dead???), which directly reflects arajin's dedication to mahoro.
of course whether arajin was abused or abandoned by his father or not; this is all in the moment speculation. if someone likes this theory and it helps them to better relate to/understand arajin's character, more power to them!
#bucchigiri?!#bucchigiri predictions#bucchigiri meta#abuse tw#ask#thanks for bringing this theory to my attention anon#it gave me some good food for thought#bc honestly i hadn't really considered ara's father much in his character analysis yet#also thanks for liking my analysis stuff! really i'm just spitballing here so its nice to think someone's getting anything outta it lol
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chappell roan world domination
YES CHAPPELL ROAN NEEDS DOMINATE THE WORLD. CHAPPELL ROAN WORLD TOUR WHEN????
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STORY SPECIFIC WRITING ASKS
I love to talk about my writing, be it already published stories or ones I am working on. Send in â(emoji) + (title)â to know more about my projects and process.
đ¶ - Share three songs you would put in a playlist for the story (or link to a playlist if you have one). đ - Share any faceclaims you may have for your characters. đ - What stories may have inspired this one? âïž - What is your favourite line or scene from the project? đŒ - What aesthetic were you going for? Share an image that reminds you of it. âïž - A scene that was originally in the plans for the story that you eventually had to cut. đ- An Easter Egg or reference you put into the story for yourself that you're very proud of and want to share. đȘ- If you were to write these particular characters in an alternate situation, what would the setting be? (e.g. coffee shop AU, college AU, soulmate AU, etc.) âïž - What drink and/or snack would you have while reading this story?
#story specific writing asks#ara makes ask prompts#( no seriously please send me stuff AND feel free to reblog to get your own asks)
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ZAYYYY hiiii im tuning in so late but new augustine album out ???? what did you think WHICH SONGS DID YOU LOVE THE MOST tell me everything đ€đ«
OMG ARAAAAA hiiii!!! you still listen to augustine too ?!?! (this warms my heart)
ok well âŒïž since you asked:
1. for the moment and woman -> tied for first place. I have cried to both songs on my bathroom floor (that should say enough... somehow augustine always releases music during what seem to be pivotal moments in my mental instability đđ)
2. friends house party -> ... the song is insane. I've been doing kinda shit lately but . I calm down a bit in the midst of my sadness when this track is playing in the background
3. teach me -> . such a beautiful thing. idk this man just makes very beautiful songs
4. surface -> i think I'm just dealing w some stuff but also augustines voice makes me sad. like I've pavloved myself into crying when I hear his voice probably . idk . this song is really nice tho
5. everything else on the album (they're solid but not like. immediately liked and sorted into playlists)
teehee that's everythinggggg <333
#leave it to this swedish dude with heavenly falsettos to create the soundtrack to my patheticisms... from age 16 all the way to 20!!!#djjfosslls anyway. ty for the cutiepop ask ara i hope ur doing well or at least. getting by đđ#asks#mewchiez
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Thereâs a TINY?! You didnât tell me?!
Hi! My nameâs Eway. Whatâs your name?
My name's Chiara.
In my defense, she's a more recent addition to the household.
#//Since I know I'm probably going to get asked about it at some point her name is pronounced âKi-araâ#ace attorney oc#ace attorney#coda decrescendo#ace attorney rp#canon#Chiara Allen
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love how my sexuality at work is whatever is gonna get me out of the relationship conversation the fastest
#ara rambles#when they ask if i want children i tell them im a lesbian#when they ask if i wanna get set up with a date they assume im straight and i tell them im not settling down with a man til im rich#its fullproof
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ilysm pretty girl
i love you more my dearest :D <3
#asks & responses <3#áàœČàŒáŻàŸâ§âË â ⥠đđđđđđđ.#youâre so sweet#like a literal ball of fluff#pls get in my pocket#â ara ! ËÊâĄÉË
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Uhhh I was going to send this anonymously but I canât do that with memes so uhhâŠ. Hi? If someoneâs already done this feel free to ignore
hehehe HIIIIII!!! Sorry my inbox forced you to expose yourself but OLLLOOOO friend. :)
This is oddly so accurate and itâs kind of funny because Sokka legit did a fly by. One second Ara is feeding the fishes & then Sokka strolls by, BOOM her life changes forever.
Im kind of curious if he had the same expression this plane has⊠hmmmmâŠ.
thanks for this itâs so funny!!!
#HIIII!!!#Sorry youâre exposed but itâs nice to hear from you#Love your art btw youâre so talented!#This meme is so funny omg#Unfortunately we donât get any Ara update next chapter but the one after we do#Everyone in liab are dropping info bombs right now#Chang last chapter#Sokka to Ara#Now we just need someone to drop the zukka bomb on iroh hahaha#Someone new does learn about zukka next chapter :):)#Thanks for the ask!!#this made me laugh thank you so much#Liab#ITF#Somethingfoamy
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It takes just one good edit with a song I like to make me simp for a character.
This is a shout out to the Acheron tiktok edit with the song Beast by Mia Martina.
#it was bound to happen#I may not like the ara ara~ mommys but I have a weakness for women with gap moe#-> Topaz and Acheron both kinda fall into that#tough women with a sweet/cute side#before anyone asks what I am waffling about in regards to Acheron her getting lost is really adorable to me#it makes me wanna care and protect her nevermind that she could just delete my existance
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Baby Girl
Pairing: DILF!Jungkook x PreSchool Teacher!Reader
Synopsis: You always gave yourself one rule, never fall for a single dad. It would be messy and youâd never be his number one. So why did your favourite kidâs dad have to be so hot?
Warnings: fluff, talks of child abandonment, single father JK, angst, arguments, smut, penetrative sex, oral (m and f receiving), light spanking, hair pulling, make outs, kissing, fingering, clit play, clit stimulation, teasing, pet names, mentions of past relationships, dom!jungkook, big cock!jungkook, blonde!jungkook, talks of past pregnancy (not reader), mention of abortion (JKâs ex), sexual tension, alcohol consumption, thigh riding, masturbation, aftercare, swearing, praising, a bit of jealousy, hickeys, handjob, protected sex, rough and soft sex, overstimulation, and multiple orgasmsÂ
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âWhy are you trying to feed Sara the crayon!â You squealed from your spot behind your desk, swiftly approaching the small circle table holding the kids before taking the purple crayon from Araâs tiny hands. The small girlâs large brown eyes stared back at you, a smile breaking out onto her lips as she began giggling and babbling about the drawing she made for her dad.
âLook! Daddy has a pur..pur-el shirt cebause he love pur-el!â Ara pointed excitedly to the shirt she drew on her stickfigure, pride glowing in her eyes.Â
Your smile grew as your grip around the crayon loosened, placing it back down on the table, crouching between her and Saraâs little chairs. âNow thatâs gorgeous, Ara! Your dad is gonna love it so much, but how about we stop trying to feed our friends crayons?â She giggled, agreeing before going back to her art. It was true, Araâs dad, Jeon Jungkook, treasured every single thing she made for him. Every time she would run up to him after school, hands reaching up to him with a new little project every day. One day it was a flower that had things we were grateful for written on the petals, other days it was just a little drawing she made, or it was a seasonal art project. And she never failed to tell you all about his reactions the next day.
Every day you would watch all your students run to their parents coming to pick them up at lunch, most stopped to say âHiïżœïżœ or ask how their kid was doing - Jungkook never did that. It seemed odd at first, wanting to meet your studentâs dad to introduce yourself and get acquainted was a normal thing most teachers did. However, you started noticing pretty early on he hung out near the back of the group of parents that waited near the doors, waiting for Ara, getting her, and then looking at you with a little smile before leaving. Why did he do that? The small pleas for help to get their coats on before the bell filled your classroom, the children still mingling and talking, some cleaning up their tables, but most ready to up and leave as the bell rings. After making sure all the kids had their belongings, you told them to line up, âOne, two, three! Eyes on me!â You called out, watching all their little bug eyes look back at you. The small action made a smile spread across your face each time - how could it not? There are about fifteen pairs of eyes that look at you at the same time, with the same little focused expression. Itâs impossible not to smile!
Everyone crowded at the door, talking in soft whispers as they waited for you to open it and let them run off to their parents. You let the children run in different directions, enjoying the happy chatter around you as people began leaving. Just as you were about to head into the school again, you felt a little tug on your sleeve, making you look down. â Miss L/n, daddyâs not hereâŠâ
Her little voice trailed off and it instantly made you go into protective mode. You crouched in front of her, holding her small hand as you observed how her big boba eyes got glossy and her little button nose got red. It was a rare sight seeing Ara cry, she almost never did in your class unless it was something truly meaningful to her. âShh, itâs okay, Ara. Your dad probably got caught up in something! How about we wait here until he arrives, hm?â You offered, wiping away the small tears that dropped down her cheeks, her head nodding softly as you stood up and held her hand outside.Â
Twenty minutes pass and nothing. It was unlike Jungkook to be late, every day you could see his car park in the same spot under a tree, getting out and adjusting his jacket before taking a few stepsâŠthen pausing beside his car to lock it three times. Now that you think about it, you sound kinda stalker-ish with how much attention you pay to him. The air started getting cooler, so you took Ara back inside the classroom, thankful that you had an hour break before your afternoon class showed up. âAre you warm? You can take your jacket off, Ara. Do you want some paper to draw?â
Her head was tilted down as she sat in her normal seat near the cozy corner you had set up for your students, not really answering your questions. âDid daddy leave me?â She asked, her tiny fingers picking at her other ones as she asked.
Sourness filled your heart as you heard her question, you pulled out the small chair beside her, tilting your head to see her face. âHoney, of course he didnât leave you. Heâs just running late for some reason. Why would you think that?âÂ
âMommy didâŠâ Her words were cut off by sudden footsteps approaching the class quickly, a man hunched over huffing and puffing like he had just ran a marathon. âOh god, Iâm so sorry, baby.â He said, still gasping for air as he approached us, kneeling down on her other side.
Her mom left? You stood up, straightening out your cardigan as you stared down at the man pressing his forehead against Araâs jacket covered arm. âAra, Iâm sorry, daddy had to close up the shop cause your uncles werenât there. Iâm sorry, bug.â Wow, he apologized a lot, even though Ara had already probably forgotten about what happened. Her bright little smile was there again, brightening the room as his largeâŠtattooed hand caressed the opposite arm.Â
âDaddy! Look what I made!â Ara exclaimed, showing her dad her little portrait of her and her dad, wearing his purple shirt.
âWow, I love it, baby girl! Itâs so me. You know where this is going?â The way they both said âon the fridgeâ at the exact same time would make any womanâs ovaries burst. It was too cute! Araâs dad stood up, rubbing his hands on the back of his pants before looking at you, staring blankly before his eyes widened and a hand was out stretched. âSorry! Iâm Jungkook, Jeon Jungkook! Araâs dad, cause she has the same last name as me, but not only that reason! Her mom and I-â He stopped, his cheeks tinting a light red as you grasped his hand, shaking it with furrowed brows. âIâm gonna stop talking before I make it worse.â
âNo, no, please. I always enjoy hearing about how parents are related to their child.â You laughed, releasing his hand again - eyes gleaming from the way his cheeks darkened in colour again. âItâs honestly okay, Mr. Jeon. Ara and I had a feeling something came up at work and thatâs why you were late.â
The sigh of relief that escaped him must have been in him for a while, his whole body relaxing a little more after you said that. âThank you for looking after her. This wonât happen again, at all. Uhm..MsâŠ?â
âOh! Sorry, Y/n. Y/n L/n, Araâs teacher. Since sheâs in my class.â You over explained just like he did, thankfully he had a sense of humor since he let out a soft breathy laugh. âAgain, donât worry at all, I understand. Things happen sometimes.â You eased him, smiling gently as he grabbed Araâs little hand, helping her out of her chair.
âYeahâŠbut thank youâŠstill.â He said one last time, leaning down to pick his daughter up before propping her on his hip. Her little hand went to his hair immediately, tugging softly as he pulled his head away, smiling at her. They left the room, chatting softly as he walked back down the hall to exit through the front office. Sitting at your desk, you opened your computer, preparing your slideshow for your afternoon class on how to make a pretty sunset with pastels, but the only thing you could think aboutâŠ
He had really pretty hair.
______________________________________________________________
âWait, wait, wait- rewind. Youâre telling me that you were face to face with a DILF and did nothing?!â Rose practically yelled as you walked together down the hall towards the parking lot.
âOkay, letâs not call him thatâŠheâs still the father of my student. It feels wrong calling him something soâŠvulgar?â You squeemed while fumbling for your keys. âPlus, what was I supposed to do? His kid was right there, itâs not like I couldâve just jumped his bones right there.â
She glanced at you from the corner of her eyes, a small smirk on her lips as she grabbed her own keys out of her bag. âWell, Iâm just saying, maybe he wouldâve been into that. Having you get all up on him, nice and close and just-â You shoved her away playfully, laughing as you watched her mimic some sort of makeout session.Â
âThere is no way that would've happened! Again, Rose, youâre forgetting this was the first time Iâve ever actually talked to the guy. Itâs not like some magical thing is gonna happen to make us instantly fall in love.â She pushed open the doors to the front office, a shiver running down your spine as the cool breeze hit your face. You unlocked your car, standing by the driverâs door as you spoke again. âThis is real life, not some romance book thatâs gonna have me sweeped off my feet by the end of it.â
âYeah, yeahâŠâ She waved a dismissive hand, opening her car door before poking her head out again. âIâm just saying, itâs been a while for you since youâve dated, so why not try out the awkward, DILF of a dad?â
âHave a good night, Rose.â
All you could hear was her laughter as you got in and closed your own door.Â
______________________________________________________________
Mondays are the worst.
Itâs almost like a sick joke - you wake up and feel like itâs gonna be a productive day, but instead, your makeup looked trashy, your favourite shirt that you were supposed to wear today had a stain on it, your coffee machine was broken, and your car wouldnât start for a good twenty minutes.
So yeah, itâs a lovely day.
âI am so sorry, Rose! Thank you for watching over my class, I swear Iâll be there soon.â You rambled quickly, looking both ways on the road before taking a left.
âGirl, relax, itâs okay. Could you pick me up a coffee though? Didnât have time to make my own today.â You could hear her shuffling around, probably in your desk to find the spelling sheets you had ready for your students.
âOf course, I was gonna pick one up anyway.â Your voice came out as a murmur, trying to focus on the road so you didnât add another problem to your list of issues today.
There was some sort of sound that came from her side of the call, something between a hum and squeal of delight. âThereâs one coffee place thatâs not too far from the school, The Quiet Bean, reaaaaally cute place!â
The Quiet Bean? People are getting creative nowadaysâŠAfter a few more minutes of talking - you telling her what she should start the kids on, and her telling you where the shop is - you finally hung up. Plugging in the address of the coffee shop, you pulled up to a small shop. It was the sort of place that invited you in without making a scene. Its façade was a blend of weathered brick and soft, taupe-painted wood, the kind that had aged gracefully, like it had stories to tell. The large windows were framed in simple, cream-colored trim, their panes reflecting the faintest light of the afternoon sun. A faint trace of ivy crept up along the edges, as if nature itself had taken a liking to this quiet little corner of the world.
The cafĂ©âs sign hung above the door, a modest wooden board with the name The Quiet Bean painted in elegant, flowing script. The letters, accented by a small, delicate illustration of a steaming coffee cup, as though to beckon you inside with the promise of something warm and comforting. It wasnât flashy, but there was something undeniably welcoming about it, something that whispered of calm moments and good company.
As you stepped closer, the faint scent of lavender and earth drifted from a row of mismatched flower boxes, their colors a soft mix of greens and purples. Small, bistro-style tables were scattered outside, their wrought-iron chairs empty for now, but ready to welcome anyone looking to enjoy the sun with a cup in hand.Â
Pulling the door open, you were met with a strong scent of freshly brewed coffee and pastries. Your eyes widened as you looked around, taking in the detail of the shop and taking note of every little detail that was put into building it. You slowly approached the counter, eyes trained on the display of sweets. God, they looked delicious. It was as if everywhere you turned there was something new you noticed - now, it was the simple yet captivating writing on the menu board that hung above the counter. Why was writing captivating you? Nevermind.Â
You glanced around, a few people were sitting at tables, enjoying a warm coffee with a sweet treat, but no one behind the counter. Your brows furrowed softly, tilting your head to try and see if someone was lingering behind the walkway to the back of the coffee shop, but there was no one. You reached forward, tapping the small bell that sat beside one of the pastry display cases, the high pitched shrill sound making you jump slightly.Â
A guy, wiping his hands on the towel that hung from his apron quickly rounded the corner. His blonde hair tied into a small bun as he looked up. Those eyesâŠthe wide doe ones that seemed all too familiar. The ones that held the universeâŠwhere had you seen them before? âWelcome to The Quiet Bea-â The manâs voice cut off as he stood there staring at you, his round eyes widening slightly. âM-Ms. Y/nâŠwhatâŠyouâreâŠâ
It clicked. Those eyes, the ones you have to look at every single day, the same ones Ara had. âMr. Jeon, itâsâŠuhm, hello.â Why was this so embarrassing? This was just like when you saw a teacher outside of school and didnât know how to act. Holy hell. âSorryâŠsorry, good morning.â
His cheeks tinted a light pink, the sound of him clearing his throat sounded through the small cafe, you watched him cringe from the sound. âG-Good morningâŠIâm sorry, I just wasnât expectingâŠnever mind.â He shook his head, a few strands of his blonde hair framing his face as he approached the cash register. âWhat can I get for you?â
âJust two lattes please.â You smiled, gaze wandering off to the side as you eyed the pastries again. As if on cue, your stomach rumbled, causing you to freeze and Jungkook to glance up at you from the register. A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he leaned forward on the counter, a small tilt to his head. âDid you maybe want some food, too? Our pistachio croissants are really good, if I do say so myself.â
Now it was your turn to turn pink, a sheepish smile spreading across your face as you nodded. âIâll take two of those, too, please.â He nodded, a smile still lingering on his face as he used the tons to grab out two of the fresh croissants. Placing the bag on the counter, he turned his back to you as he started on the coffees.Â
As you stood there, it was hard not to notice how wide his back was. It was the perfect size to his waist which was - surprisingly - small. And not to mention the way his shirt hugged his chest and torso, there was practically nothing left for the imagination, there was even a teasingly small amount of tattoos shown that littered his right hand, and you just knew there were more. Maybe Mondays aren't so bad. I mean, you got to see that perfect ass- okay, no. Stop it! That is still your student's dad!
He turned around, two coffees in hand as he placed them on the counter, tapping something into the register before telling you your total. You pulled out your card, tapping it on the card machine before situating yourself to grab everything. âUhâŠI donât mean to be, like, that one parentâŠbut why is the teacher of my daughter here getting coffee when school has already started?â
âOh, so you were one of the kids that was always on time to class.â You said with a small smile, looking down into your wallet as you placed your card back into its proper place. âI was having a bad morning, running late. But my friend, whoâs a teacher as well, is watching over my class. She wanted a coffee.â You wiggled your finger at the cup, a smile on your face that wouldnât go away for some reason.Â
It was impossible not to giggle at the way his brows furrowed and his bottom lip pouted from your comment. âI was not âone of those kids.ââ He crossed his arms, looking at you as you grabbed the coffees and bag that held your pastries. âIf it means anythingâŠI hope you have a better day.â His voice was like honey, something so sweet, you never wanted it to disappear.Â
âThank youâŠI hope the same for you, Mr. Jeon.â
âPlease, call me Jungkook!â Even his smile was sweetâŠfuck.
Just as you were about to exit the shop, you turned, using your back to push the door open. âAlright then, Jungkook. And call me, Y/nâŠIâm not your teacher.â Your last words left him going red again, and to your unease, it was a sight you wouldnât mind seeing again. ______________________________________________________________
As the warm afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows of your classroom, casting a comforting glow over the tidy rows of desks, Rose settled into the chair across from you, a concerned expression etched on her face. The air was filled with the faint scent of chalk and the distant hum of the air conditioning vent.
"Y/n, you're not going to tell me what's going on, are you?" Rose asked, her voice gentle but probing. You hesitated, fidgeting with the edge of the paper bag as you took a bite of your croissant. Damn they were good. They were alone in the classroom during their lunch break, the door locked securely behind them.
Rose's eyes narrowed as she watched your flustered movements. "Come on, spill it," she urged, her voice a gentle coaxing. You took another bite, your eyes avoiding Rose's inquiring gaze. "It's just...I saw Jungkook at the coffee shop this morningâŠAraâs dad," you mumbled around a mouthful of food, eyes darting back to Rose.
Rose's eyebrows shot up. "That coffee shop? Where you got our lattes?" You nodded, your cheeks flushing. Rose's expression turned thoughtful as she leaned in, her voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. "So you saw Hot DILF again?"
Your eyes widened in alarm, hastily causing you to look around the room as if ensuring they were truly alone. "Rose, please, don't say that out loud," You whispered, voice laced with a mixture of embarrassment and fear. Rose chuckled, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
"What's wrong? You're not going to date him, are you?" It was almost as if this was the day you couldnât stop blushing. Your face turned bright red as you hastily shook her head, your ponytail bobbing in time. "Of course not, I'm just...I'm just saying, he's a great guy, from what Iâve seen, but...but it's just a rule, you know?" Your words tumbled out in a rush, your voice growing more agitated by the second.
Rose's expression turned to understanding, and she reached out to place a reassuring hand on your arm. "I get it, I really do. You've always said no to dating single parents, and I respect that. But...it's just so hard when you're around him, isn't it?" Your eyes dropped, looking away, your face burning with a mix of embarrassment and longing.
Rose's gentle words hung in the air, and you felt your heart racing as you tried to process her emotions. You couldn't deny it - you had felt a flutter in her chest when you saw Jungkook, and it wasn't just because you were worried about being professional around him. You took a deep breath, trying to calm yourself down and rationalize your feelings.
"I don't know, Rose," You said finally, voice barely above a whisper. "It's just...he's really nice, and easy to talk to...it's just hard to ignore the fact that he's Araâs dad."
Rose nodded understandingly, her expression sympathetic. "I know, I know. And it's not like you can just...ignore the fact that he's cute, either," she added with a sly smile, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
You playfully rolled your eyes, trying to deflect the attention from your flustered state. "Yeah, real help, Rose. You're not making this any easier for me."
Rose laughed, her eyes shining with mirth. "Sorry, sorry. I just want you to be happy, and if that means being around Mr. Hot DILF...I mean, Jungkook...then so be it."
A smile spread across your face, feeling a warmth spread through her chest at her words. "Thanks, Rose. You're a good friend."
As they chatted, you couldn't help but think about Jungkook's warm smile and gentle laugh. You pushed the thoughts away, reminding yourself of the rule and the reasons behind it. But you couldn't shake the feeling that you had crossed a line, and that your attraction to Jungkook was more than just a harmless infatuation.
The lunch bell rang, shattering the peaceful atmosphere in the classroom. As they made their way to the classroom door, Rose leaned in, her voice low and conspiratorial. "Hey, Y/n? Just out of curiosity...what do you think would happen if you did date him?"
Your eyes widened in alarm, and you quickly shot Rose a warning glance. "Rose, don't even say that. I already told you I'm not going to date him, so let's just drop it, okay?"
Rose held up her hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. No more talking about Jungkook. Let's just focus on surviving through the day and parent-teacher interviews. How âbout that?"
You smiled, feeling a mix of relief and gratitude towards your friend. "Sounds like a plan to me."
______________________________________________________________
The faint echo of footsteps grew louder in the quiet hallway as you straightened up at your desk, glancing at the clock. The dim lights above flickered softly, casting a warm glow that illuminated the classroom filled with colorful student artwork. It was the night of parent-teacher interviews, and your heart raced in anticipation and anxiety. Each appointment was a gateway to success and growth, but tonight felt different. Tonight, you faced the sight of a certain single fatherâŠagain.
As you set out fresh papers and a cup of coffeeâmostly meant to ward off your own nervesâyou tried to shake off the flutter twisting in your stomach. You had told Rose you wouldnât get involved with parents, yet here you were, feeling exhilaratingly torn between professionalism and a sudden spike of anticipation.
The gentle knock on the door pulled you from your swirl of thoughts. âCome in!â you called, your voice steadying to mask your racing heart. The knob turned, and Jungkook stepped inside, his tall figure silhouetted against the hallway light. He looked slightly rumpled in a casual white fishermanâs sweater and jeans, as if he had just finished a long day balancing work and parenting. His sandy hair fell over his forehead, giving him an endearing boyishness.
âHi, Y/n,â Jungkook said softly, his voice low and a little shy. He shifted between his feet, running a hand through his hair, and for a moment, you felt as though the air in the room thickened with somethingâtension, attraction, or perhaps, an endless stream of unspoken words.
âHi, Jungkook! Thank you for coming,â You replied, trying to maintain the professional tone youâd rehearsed in your mind. âPlease, have a seat.â
He hesitated for just a moment before sinking into the chair opposite your desk, glancing around the room and admiring the colorful projects that adorned the walls. âItâs nice to see what youâve done with the place. Ara talks about it all the time,â he said, a smile creeping onto his face that lit up his eyes.Â
As you reviewed Araâs progress report, you couldnât help but feel Jungkookâs gaze lingering on you, like a gentle warmth wrapping around you. âSheâs doing wonderfully, really. Sheâs bright, creative, and so full of energy,â You continued, your voice flowing with professional ease.
âThatâs great to hear,â Jungkook replied, his fingers nervously tapping on the desk. âI mean⊠I worry about her sometimes, you know? Juggling everything has beenââ He paused, biting his lip slightly as if searching for the right words. ââhard. But she loves coming to school.â
In that moment, you could see the affection etched on his face. His love for Ara was so palpable, so tender, that it made your heart swell. âYouâre doing an amazing job as a father,â you blurted out before you could catch yourself.Â
A flush crept into Jungkook's cheeks, and he chuckled shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. âThanks. I still feel like I have so much to learn,â he said, glancing away, his honesty disarming you.Â
âI think itâs a continuous journey for all parents,â You replied, forcing yourself to ignore the way your heart fluttered at his vulnerability. You forced herself to focus on Araâs achievements, highlighting the areas where she could improve.
Yet with each laugh Jungkook shared, with each genuine word of praise he offered about his daughter, you found it harder to keep your feelings at bay. The chemistry crackled between them, threatening to bridge the gap of professionalism that you had once held sacred.Â
âI donât know how I can ever thank you for what you do,â Jungkook said suddenly, a sincere expression on his face. âI feel like Ara has blossomed since she started in your class.â
âYou donât have to thank me, Jungkook,â You spoke softly, heart racing as you met his gaze. âItâs my job and my passion.â
He leaned back in the chair, taking a moment before asking softly, âBut what about you? Do you⊠do you enjoy being a teacher?â
You nodded, feeling a stirring inside youâa mix of admiration and a desire for connection that you fought to suppress. âI really do,â you confessed. âIt's a rewarding experience, but...â You hesitated for a moment, knowing your feelings threatened to slip from your grasp. âIt can be challenging at times.â
âYeah, life can be tough,â Jungkook replied, his voice low. âBut I guess we all find our way through it.â
Their eyes locked for a heartbeat longer than necessary, and you felt an electric jolt, a silent understanding passing between them. But just as quickly, you pulled yourself back, focusing instead on the paperwork scattered across your desk.
âI believe Ara will continue to thrive under your guidance,â Jungkook said, attempting to break the growing tension.
âAbsolutely,â You agreed, feeling the flicker of excitement mingled with anxiety. âIf you have any concerns, please donât hesitate to reach out.â
Jungkook smiled, the warmth in his expression making your pulse quicken, and you couldnât help but smile back, even as reality settled back in. They were from two different worlds, tethered by the innocent bond of a daughter between them, and you knew you had to tread carefully.
âThank you for your time,â Jungkook finally said, rising from his seat, his voice a blend of gratitude and something softer, like an unexpressed hope. âI really appreciate it.â
As he turned to leave, you felt a mix of longing and resolve. âYouâre welcome, Jungkook. Have a great evening,â You managed to say, your heart heavy with unspoken feelings and the sensation of his presence lingering in the room long after he had gone.Â
With a sigh, you sank back into your chair, trying to reclaim your professional demeanor, fully aware that this was only the beginning of a journey you had carefully set herself against. And yet, without a doubt, it felt exhilarating and terrifying all at once.
The echo of Jungkookâs footsteps faded down the hallway as you sat back in your chair, staring blankly at the stack of papers on your desk. The soft, dim light of the classroom wrapped around you like a cocoon, but instead of feeling comforted, your thoughts spiraled into chaotic disarray. Your heart still raced at the memory of his shy smile and the way his gaze warmed you, sending unexpected flutters coursing through your chest.Â
âOkay, Y/n. Letâs think this through,â you murmured to yourself, pushing your chair back a bit to pace. You took a deep breath, holding your head high as you began your internal debate, your footsteps echoing softly against the tiled floor.
Pros:
1. Heâs Kind: Jungkook showed genuine concern for Araâs well-being; that spoke volumes about his character.
2. Heâs a Good Father: Seeing how much he adored his daughter made your heart melt. A man who values family is definitely an attractive trait.
3. We Have Chemistry: The connection was palpable during your meeting, the kind that sent thrills of excitement coursing through you.
Cons:
1. Heâs Araâs Father: You would always have that complex dynamic, which could complicate everything. What if things went wrong? The relationship with Ara would be at stake.
2. Professional Boundaries: As a teacher, you reminded yourself constantly of the boundaries that existed between you and the parents. Getting involved with a parent could lead to gossip and drama.
3. Could She Actually Do This? You didnât want to enter the dating world and find yourself getting hurt. There was so much at stake, and discretion was key.Â
The rhythm of your footsteps quickened, your thoughts tumbling into a whirlwind of confusion.Â
âNo, no, no.â You held her temples, trying to massage away the tension that gnawed at you. âYou canât think like this. You would be crossing a line, Y/n. Your job is to inspire and educate, not fall for the parents!âÂ
You paused, catching your breath, feeling the weight of your emotions. âButâwhat if this is something special?â An involuntary smile sneaked onto your face at the thought of Jungkookâs easy laughter, the way he nervously fidgeted in his chair, and the sincere glances he offered. âWhat ifâŠheâs different?â
Your heart raced again, and you bit your lip, taking another deep breath to steady yourself. You have dedicated yourself to your career. You loved teaching and the bonds you created with your students. But you also felt the longing for companionship, for someone who would truly understand your heart, your struggles, and your dreams.
You found your way back to the desk, grabbing the paper you had written notes on about Ara. It was filled with nothing but good observations and bright notes that showcased the little girlâs personality. âThis is about Ara, too,â you whispered, glancing at the portrait Ara had drawn of you standing beside her at the school. You had never looked better as a stick figure.
âCould I do this?â you inquired softly, staring out the window at the fading sunlight. âWould this be fair to Ara? To him?â You closed your eyes for a moment, trying to visualize yourselves together, the gentle kind heartedness belying a deeper connection that tethered you.
Footsteps interrupted your reverie, and you looked up to see Rose peeking through the door. âY/n?â she called softly, stepping inside. The infectious energy of her friend brightened the room. âI saw Jungkook leave. How did it go?â
Your internal debate halted as you met Rose's eager gaze, the warmth of friendship wrapping around you like a comforting embrace. âIt was... interesting,â You replied slowly, trying to sort through the flood of emotions that threatened to spill over.
âWhat does that mean? Was he flirty?â Rose raised an eyebrow, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
You shook your head, your cheeks flushing slightly. âNo, it wasnât like that. We just talked about Ara and her progress. But thereâs thisâŠconnection, Rose. Itâs hard to explain.â
âDo you like him?â Rose leaned forward, her excitement palpable, her curiosity evident.
âI donât know! I mean, I shouldnât, right?â You sighed, throwing your hands up in exasperation. âHeâs Araâs dad, and Iâm her teacher. There are boundaries, Rose!â
âBut do you want to explore those boundaries? You said it yourself; itâs a connection!â Rose's voice rose slightly, her enthusiasm inexhaustible. âYou only live once, Y/n!â
âWhy are you so supportive of this? Are you trying to get me into trouble?â You chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, but you felt the weight of Roseâs words pressing upon you.
âMaybe I am!â Rose teased, crossing her arms. âBut look, if you feel something for him, that could be something worth exploring. Relationships donât always lead to disaster, you know. Sometimes, they lead to wonderful things.âÂ
You chewed your lip, your heart fluttering at the prospect. âBut what if I mess it up? What if I ruin things with Ara and her dad?â
âI think Ara would be happy if he found someone who makes him smile,â Rose asserted confidently. âAnd if that someone happens to be you...well, then thatâs just a bonus!â
Looking down at your desk, pondering the vibrant artwork that Ara had drawn, you felt a gentle surge of hope amidst the confusion. Maybe there was a chance for something beautifulâif you could just take the leap.
âAll right,â You said finally, fortifying yourself. âIâll think about it. But I have to be careful...for Araâs sake. And for my own.â
âSmart girl.â Rose grinned, her eyes twinkling with excitement. âNow, letâs plan how to help you catch his attention.â
You couldnât help but laugh, the tension lifting slightly as you felt the warmth of Roseâs friendship. As they began to chat and brainstorm about playful ways to show your interest, you felt a new storm of possibility unfurling in your heartâone that you could no longer pretend to ignore. ______________________________________________________________
After leaving your classroom, Jungkook leaned against the cold, tiled wall of the hallway, taking a moment to catch his breath. The sound of his heart thudding loudly in his chest seemed to resonate in the quiet space around him. What just happened? He couldn't shake the feeling of exhilaration mingled with a flicker of anxiety as memories of their conversation flooded his mind.Â
He rubbed a hand across his neck, still feeling the heat rising to his cheeksâa bashful evidence of how easily flustered he had become in your presence. Your smile, your laughter, the way your eyes lit up when you spoke about Araâit was utterly charming. Why did she have to be so captivating? Â
His thoughts immediately twisted into a flurry of whims. Honestly, how could someone be so effortlessly beautiful? Your enthusiasm about teaching resonated deep within him; he admired how you handled the classroom, how you brought warmth and light to every interaction. The way you carelessly tucked a strand of hair behind your ear made his heart flutter. He relished in the thought that you cared so deeply for his daughter; it filled him with a swell of appreciation that lingered a little too long in his chest.
But then there was that chemistry, that intoxicating vibe that seemed to hum in the air between them. Jungkook winced slightly, aware that he was entering dangerous territory. Your laugh had tugged at something deep inside himâa longing that he rarely dared to face. Could he be falling for you? The thought was both thrilling and unsettling.
His mind wandered to the moment their eyes met, the way you had smiled at him as if you were sharing a secret, a moment just for the two of them amidst the world. Thoughts he knew he shouldnât entertain slipped through like silk ribbons, tightening around his chest. What would it feel like to hold her? To run his fingers through her hair, to pull her close and whisper sweet nothings in her ear?
Jungkook pressed his lips together, forcing the blush creeping up his neck to subside. Damn it, Jungkook. Focus on Ara! But the image of you was stubborn, filling his thoughts with mischievous imaginingsâyour laughter echoing in his ears, your soft, inviting gaze lingering in his mind.Â
He imagined you tucked against him on a lazy Sunday morning, sunlight streaming through the window casting dappled shapes on your skin, and he couldn't help but wonder if you would look up at him in that soft, sleepy kind of wayâyour hair tousled, and that peaceful smile gracing your features. God, he would do anything for that smile.
His heart raced at those thoughts. Was it wrong to want more? The deeper he delved into his fantasies, the more he wondered if he could truly let someone in again. The idea of developing a connection with you was thrilling but terrifying.Â
But what if it went well? What if he got to know the woman behind the teacher façade? What if they clicked like he suspected they might? A sudden image of their hands intertwined danced in his mind, the warmth radiating from your soft fingers sending shivers down his spine. He imagined kissing youâa slow, intimate exploration that left you both breathless, your hearts racing in sync.
His body reacted even to the thought, and Jungkook groaned softly, shaking his head at the direction his mind had taken. He just wanted to know more about youâthe fear and the thrill of the unknown gnawing at him as he paced in place. Was he ready to join the dating world again? To risk his heart?
Jungkook glanced down the hallway, half-expecting you to appear again with that mesmerizing smile. He exhaled slowly, trying to calm the whirlwind that churned within him. You had met as teacher to parent, you were cautious in your own ways, but there was something in your gaze, the spark of possibility daring him to breach the barrier.
âJust take it slow,â he whispered to himself, trying to ignore the overwhelming desire unfurling within him like a curtain drawn back to reveal a dazzling stage. âSheâs worth it.âÂ
In his mindâs eye, he could see your face, lit with warmth and kindness, exhibited perfectly in the classrooms where you worked magic with children. But he wanted you outside of the school, in the real world, where they could be themselves.
With another deep breath, he turned and walked away from the classroom, his heart still racing and the ambitious thoughts whirling inside his mind. The night air hit him like a splash of cold water, grounding him, reminding him that this was just the beginning of something he knew could change everything. And as he left the school grounds, he couldn't shake the feeling that he wanted to do whatever it took to make sure he saw you again. ______________________________________________________________
The restaurant was awash in golden candlelight, casting flickering shadows on the walls adorned with tasteful art. The hum of conversation intermingled with the clinking of silverware, creating a cozy atmosphere that settled around the tables like a warm embrace. Jungkook had arrived early, wearing a fitted navy sweater that accentuated his figure and dark jeansânot too formal, but just enough to speak of a thoughtful effort. Tonight was important.
He twisted his napkin nervously in his lap as he surveyed the room, his gaze darting to the entrance. How do you prepare for a date with someone you genuinely like? It had been several weeks since they started talking, gradually letting layers peel away to reveal their authentic selves, and now here they were, on the brink of something new.Â
As if summoned by his thoughts, you walked in, your presence radiant in a deep emerald dress that hugged your curves and made you look effortlessly elegant. Your hair cascaded in soft waves, and when their eyes met, a bright smile danced across your lipsâa smile that made Jungkookâs heart skip a beat.
âHey,â you greeted, your voice warm and inviting as you approached the table.
âHey! You look amazing,â Jungkook found himself saying, his cheeks warming at the earnestness in his tone.Â
âThanks! You too!â You replied, taking your seat across from him, the evening lighting casting a gentle glow on your features.Â
Jungkook tried to shake off the nerves, but it was hard not to stumble over his words as their waiter arrived. âGood evening! Can I start you off with something to drink?âÂ
âUh, yes! Iâd like a glass of red wine, please,â Jungkook said, his hands fidgeting on the table beneath the napkin.
âSame for me,â You chimed in, your openness making it easier for him to remember how to breathe.Â
As they sipped their wine and exchanged laughter, they discussed everythingâtheir favorite movies, childhood memories, and even the quirks of teaching that made them both laugh aloud. But as the conversation flowed, Jungkook felt the slight pressure of anticipation build in his chest, the electric tension flickering like a candle in the wind.
âSo, whatâs been the best part of your week?â he asked, hoping to keep the conversation light while his nerves simmered beneath the surface.
You leaned forward, eyes sparkling. âWell, this week we were doing some more basic spelling skills. And there was one point, where I said that our class was gonna have a small spelling bee competition against the other Kindergarten class. Ara took it a little too seriously, she started buzzing like a bee after every word she spelled.â
Jungkook chuckled, picturing the adorable scene. âOh God, is that why she came home and couldnât stop buzzing around? I mean, at least sheâs remembering to spell more words correctlyâŠshe rewards herself by buzzing a little each time.â
âWell, she does have a great teacher,â you teased, your eyes locking onto his with that playful glimmer.
Jungkook felt the heat rushing up his neck. âIâm just trying to keep up with your class levels,â he said with a grin.Â
Their connection felt tangible, fragile yet electric. Jungkook summoned his courage as the waiter returned with their meals. âIt looks great. I hope it tastes great,â he said, lifting his fork, eager to divert his nervous energy.
As they began to eat, Jungkook was distraught to discover that his mouth seemed to have developed a mind of its own. âSo, I was thinking maybeâI mean, if youâre interestedââ he stumbled through the heavy words, glancing at her, âwe could visit that new art exhibit next weekend? Or maybe a picnic? Iâm definitely up for a picnic.âÂ
Your brows raised in surprise, a smile breaking across your face. âIâd love that! An art exhibit sounds fantastic.â
Jungkook exhaled, relief washing over him. They continued chatting, light and airy, until a relaxed silence fell between them. An idea struck him, and he leaned closer, teasingly, âYou know, youâre making this date really easy. I thought Iâd be sweating bullets.â
Just as the words left his mouth, careless and relaxed, he slipped. âI guess I just feel comfortable, baby girlâŠâÂ
His voice trailed off in horror as his brain caught up with his mouth. Did he really just call you that? His cheeks blazed a deep shade of crimson, eyes widening as he braced himself for your reaction.
You blinked, pausing mid-bite, amusement dancing in your eyes. âWow, that was unexpected. Do I look like a baby girl to you?âÂ
Jungkookâs face burned, a thousand apologies spiraling through his mind. âI-I didnât mean it likeâ! I mean, youâreâ!â He stumbled over his words, rendering himself a stammering mess.Â
You couldnât help but chuckle, clearly amused, leaning forward as if to ease his embarrassment. âItâs okay, Jungkook. I kinda liked it, actually. Itâs sweet.â
His initial panic spilled over into relief, but the flirty undertone hung between them, making the air around them more charged. Under the table, his heart raced as he played with the hem of his own sweater, unsure whether he was feeling flustered or exhilarated.
He took a deep breath, trying to regain control. âWell, um, you are adorable, so I guess it fitsâjust not in the way I set it up!âÂ
âDo you think Iâm adorable, huh?â You teased, your playful confidence radiating from you. Your gaze held a challenge, one that made his heart race anew.Â
âNot just adorable,â he clarified, leaning in slightly, feeling the heat of her presence. âYouâre⊠captivating. Thoughtful. Kind. And itâsâŠâ he hesitated, a smirk creeping onto his face, âdangerously charming.âÂ
You bit your lip, eyes glimmering with intrigue, every inch of your body language inviting him closer. âDangerously charming, huh? Is that a compliment or a warning?âÂ
âBoth,â Jungkook said, letting the tension linger in the air, a quiet challenge exchanged between them. As if he were testing the waters before diving in. âHow about you tell me something about yourself that could potentially get us both in trouble?âÂ
This time, you laughed, and it echoed around their cozy corner of the restaurant. The flirtation was undeniable, thickening the air as they engaged in the dance of unspoken desires. Finally, it seemed like this date might indeed lead somewhereâsomewhere beautifully unexpected, where the two of them could explore the chemistry that had sparked between them.
With their plates nearly empty and glasses refilled, you glanced over at him, a light blush dusting over your cheeks. Under the table, you let your foot caress up and down his calf, watching how he paused halfway through paying for the bill to look at you with a tilted head. You turned your head away, resting it in your palm as you continued your movements, hearing how Jungkookâs breathing changed from light and even to heavier and quicker.
âWhatâre you doingâŠ?â He asked quietly, cheeks burning a red colour as he sunk into his chair a little more. You shrugged your shoulders, looking away again, the intensity of the situation making it hard to stare directly at him.Â
The sound of chair legs scraping against the floor made you finally look back at him. His cheeks were a dark red, a hand extended towards you as he helped you out of your chair, pushing it in before slowly walking with you. A shaky hand was placed around your waist, sending tingles all throughout your body, it was clear Jungkook was nervous, but it was also clear he wanted something else. Craved something else.
âJungkook, are yo-â
âDo you want to come back to my place?â He asked hurriedly but softly, his eyes staring into yours as he waited for your response. âI know itâs inappropriate to ask, especially since itâs only our first date, but you justâŠyou look really good in your dress, like, really, really good- andâŠandâŠâÂ
He looked as if he were about to lose his mind if you didnât speak soon. You carefully cupped his face, brushing your thumbs along his cheeks as you spoke. âHey, relaxâŠitâs okay. You can breatheâŠâ You calmed him down, his hands coming up to hold your forearms gently, taking in deep breaths. âI..I would love toâŠgo back to your place, I mean. ButâŠwhat about Ara?â
âSheâs with her unclesâŠNamjoon and Jin promised to look after her.â He said breathlessly, his eyes looking everywhere on your face at once, taking in as much detail as possible as if he were trying to engrain an image of you into his mind.
âAm I supposed to know who those people are, or?â He shook his head, a small laugh escaping his lips as he leaned forward, resting his forehead against yours before pulling away.
âTheyâre my friends that helped me raise her. Also work at the cafe.â He mumbled, bouncing a little as he looked at the parking lot. â I really love sharing things with you, but Iâm about to lose my mind if I donât have you soonâŠsoâŠmy car is over there.â He said, pointing over to a black car parked a little further away from the restaurant.Â
There wasnât a lot of time between getting in the car, the drive to his place, and getting inside his place. As soon as you stepped foot inside the threshold, Jungkook was grabbing you, needy hands grabbing at your waist as he looked at you, quietly asking for permission to kiss you. You barely nodded before he gently pressed his lips against yours, the kiss was firm yet soft, everything you expected from him.
âGodâŠâ He whispered against your lips, cupping your face as he kissed you again, groaning from how good you were. âYouâre so perfectâŠso, so perfect.â
A soft giggle escaped you, pulling back so you were face to face with him, âYouâve barely kissed me, how can you know Iâm perfect?â You asked, following mindlessly as he dragged you to the bedroom.
âBecause.â
âBecause?â
âYes, âbecause.â Donât ruin the moment.â
You could hear the smile in his voice as he kissed you again, lifting you slightly to place you on the bed. His hands moved to your waist, squeezing and kneading the flesh under your dress. His lips slowly moved from your lips to your jaw, peppering soft kisses all along your skin. His left hand grabbed your chin, turning your head to the side so he had more room to find the spots that made you shiver. âYour skinâs so soft, baby girlâŠâ
The feeling of his lips latching onto your skin made you shiver, feeling the slight suction as he sucked a mark into your skin, his tongue soothing the area afterwards. He hovered above you, arms propping himself up so he didnât squish you completely, not that youâd mind.Â
âFuckâŠJungkookâŠâ You whimpered, feeling him smirk against your skin. He pulled away, eyes meeting yours as he pressed another soft kiss to your lips.Â
âCan I take your dress off?â If he wasnât breathless before, he sure was now, panting as he waited for permission. âPlease, I wanna see your pretty body, baby.â
You managed to nod, propping yourself up so he could reach back and unzip your dress. His fingers gently grasped your sleeves, pulling the forward as the top half of your dress slid off your body. The sound that left his lips made your panties damper than before, his eyes focused solely on your bare breasts. âOh shitâŠno bra?â
âDidnât have one that worked with the dress.â You replied, finding it hard to stare at him head on. Jungkook seemed to notice this, his hands cupping your face again, focusing on your eyes as he spoke softly.
âHey, you donât have to be embarrassed or anythingâŠyou have the hottest body ever. Like, ever. I mean, you just showed me your bare tits and I almost came.â With his admission his cheeks tinted pink, but he didnât pay any mind to it, instead focusing on you. âIf you ever feel uncomfortable, just tell me. Okay? Iâll stop right away.âÂ
His gaze slowly went back to your tits, his thumbs resting just under your breasts, brushing against the soft skin before fully grasping them in his hands. You let out a breathless moan, eyes fluttering closed as you relished in his touch. It wasnât long after that he had you out of that dress and your panties, being stripped down to only his boxers himself. His face was level with your pussy, lips pressing soft kisses against your inner thighs as he edged closer and closer to the place you needed him most.Â
He darted his tongue out, licking a stripe down your folds, before making contact with your clit. The moans you let out egged him on more, pressing his face further into your cunt without any care in the world. The sloppy sounds that came from his mouth on your pussy was borderline pornographic. He used his fingers to part your folds, paying as much attention to your clit as possible. After a few minutes he pulled back, taking a few quick breaths before tugging you closer to the edge of the bed. He noticed the way you were gripping the sheets, how your eyes were screwed shut in pleasure.
âAww, are you close, baby girl? Does my good girl wanna cum?â He taunted, and all you could do was whine and nod.
Your eyes were glossy as you opened them again, looking down at him to see the bottom half of his face covered in your juices. âPlease⊠Please, wanna cumâŠwanna cum for youâŠâ You moaned, blindly reaching for one of his hands.Â
He got the idea, intertwining your fingers with his as he rested them just above your pelvic bone. He nipped at your inner thigh before licking another bold stripe up your sensitive folds, sucking your clit into his mouth. His tongue flicked over it slowly, steadily changing the rhythm to a pace that would bring you to the edge in an instant. With a few more flicks of his tongue, he had you coming undone on his tongue, slurping up every little bit of juice that leaked from your hole.
You laid on the bed, limp and breathless as you looked at him, watching him stand up straight and wipe the rest of your juices that were on his face on the back of his hand. âHowâre you doing, baby?â He asked softly, kissing your cheeks a few times to make sure you were still with him.Â
You hummed softly, nodding as you pushed yourself up, connecting your lips with his in a slow and sensual kiss. Your hand snaked down to his boxers, barely rubbing against his hard-on before he grabbed your wrist gently. âIf you do that, Iâm gonna cum. And I want to cum while Iâm inside youâŠâ
The pout that formed on your face was inevitable, but you agreed, âFineâŠbut next time, you have to let me return the favour.â
His smirk grew as you insinuated there would be a next time. âFine. Next time.â He kissed you again, fingers tangling in your hair as he groped your breasts again, groaning into the kiss. âIâm never gonna get over how soft your tits areâŠwanna fuck them.â He panted, rolling your nipple between his thumb and forefinger.Â
A breathless giggle escaped you, âMaybe next timeâŠâ He took the answer you gave him, kissing you once more before flipping you to be on your hands and knees, your face pressed into the mattress as he grabbed at your ass.
âFuck, is there anything about you that isnât perfect?â When he saw you turn your head and part your lips to respond, he spanked your cheek gently, grabbing it to massage after. âDonât answer that.â
It almost happened too quickly, he got the condom, slipped it on and pushed into you gently, rocking his hips into yours to make sure you adjusted to him properly. His hand reached under you, cooing at you to part your legs slightly so he could play with your clit. The sensations of his fingers stimulating your clit mixed with the rocking of his cock in you, you were a lost cause.Â
âMm, f-feelsâŠso goodâŠâ You moaned into the mattress, feeling him speed up more, probably trying to chase his own high as well. Your walls fluttered around him, making him groan deeply, leaning forward to press a kiss between your shoulder blades. âYeah? Sâmy cock that good for your little pussy? Hmm? Fuck, you take me so wellâŠâ
You whined, your walls tightening more around him, that knot in your lower belly slowly becoming too much to handle. âF- fuckâŠK-Kook, mâgonna cumâŠâ You said in a high pitched tone, trying to hold back for him for as long as possible.
âShhh, itâs okay, baby girl. Let go for me. Iâm right there with youâŠâ He encouraged you, thrusting into you faster as he kept rubbing your clit. Your moans melded together as you both came undone.
He kept pumping into you until he was sure you were satisfied, a gentle hand coming to your hips to stabilize you as he pulled out, listening to your soft whine. He hushed you sweetly, laying your hips down to the mattress as he quickly disposed of the used condom. He came back to the bed, curling up behind you, nuzzling his face into your neck as he breathed in your scent.Â
âMmm, youâre so prettyâŠâ He whispered drowsily, smiling softly as he heard you giggle. He loved that sound so much.
âSure, I look so pretty with messy hair and sweat covering my body.â You groaned, shifting to get more comfortable. It was his turn to chuckle, his arms wrapping around you tighter.
âYes, you do.â The moment of peace was disrupted by the doorbell ringing. He furrowed his brows, looking at you before towards the bedroom door. âGive me a minute, Iâll go see who it is.â He murmured, kissing your temple softly before getting up and pulling on his boxers from before.Â
He was gone for a few minutes, quiet chatter echoing through the house, but it wasnât loud enough for me to hear. You wrapped the sheet around your body, tugging it securely around you as you got closer to the bedroom door. Then you could hear it, Jungkookâs voice stern and low, something you hadnât heard from him before. But who was he talking to like that? And then you understoodâŠ
âI want to see my daughter.â
#bts#bangtan#bts jungkook#jungkook#bts x reader#jeon jungkook#jungkookie#jungkook x reader#jungkook fluff#jungkook smut#jungkook bts#jungkook fanfic#jeon jungkook x reader#jungkook x you#jungkook x y/n#x reader#x fem!reader#x female reader#plus sized reader#jeon jungguk#jeongguk smut#jeon jeongguk#smut writing#smut#fluff#angst
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green gables. (m)
pairing:Â e2l!jaemin x afab!reader
words:Â 22.9k+
summary:Â your search for a family lands you at green gables, where you learn to adapt to the new challenges that come your way.
genre: fluff, angst, smut
warnings: takes place in the late 19th century, mentions of death, mentions of bullying, bigdick!jaemin, creampies, fingering
inspired by anne of green gables, anne of avonlea, anne of green gables (1985), anne of avonlea (1987), anne with an e
For your entire life, you dreamed of having a home to call yours.
Your parents passed when you were only an infant, leaving you to be handed off to the local orphanage who barely had enough funding to keep their heads above water. Most of the adults who came to visit were only looking for boys that could help around the house. It was rare for anyone to come in and request a girl, unless they were a newborn mother who couldnât handle the constant screaming at night.
Still, despite every year passing with no sign of a couple willing to adopt you, your optimism never wavered. You imagined a great big life with green pastures and parents who wanted to shower you in the utmost adoration.
Until that day comes, youâre forced to face the reality of your current situation.
A mop drops in front of you, cracking at the base and standing on its last leg. Mrs. Baek gruffly orders, âGo clean up the kitchen. One of the boys was nauseous last night and itâs starting to smell rancid in there.â
âYes, Mrs. Baek,â you reply obediently, taking the mop from the floor and trudging off to the kitchens.
Another downside of not being adopted yet is the constant onslaught of chores. Being one of the only grownups left in the orphanage, tasks were assigned off to you in lieu of the other younger children. Mrs. Baek always reminds you that she only has to pay for your housing for another year before the government allows her to start collecting dues. You try not to think about how youâll possibly locate the compensation, hoping someone will come to take you into their home before then.
You clean up the sick from the kitchen floor, pinching the bridge of your nose to stop the smell from invading your senses. Mrs. Kim pops in, eyes narrowing at you. The elderly woman has never been very fond of you, blaming your lack of adoption on your incessant need to dream. She thinks if you were a little more grounded in reality, an expecting mother would have hired you into her household by now.
She calls your last name with a huff. âPut that down and come with me. A request has come in for you.â
Your heart beats rapidly in your chest. A request could mean two things â a mother finally caved in and asked for a helping hand or a family has decided to come rescue you from your misfortune. You skip to Mrs. Kimâs office happily, grinning at her when you take a seat across her desk.
âA pair of siblings have called in, asking for a farmhand to help around their estate,â she informs you, unbothered by your excitement at the prospect. âWeâve agreed to send you, as they need an older girl with more labor intensive experience. Youâll depart for the station tomorrow.â
âOh, Mrs. Kim, thank you, thank you!â You leap up, rushing around her desk to envelope her in a hug. She grunts at you, pushing you away with a sneer.
âDonât get yourself thinking this means theyâll adopt you. They could very well change their minds after hearing you talk for an hour,â she grumbles. âNow go pack your things and prepare for bed. You have a long trip ahead.â
You decide not to bother her any further, running back to the sleeping area and grabbing your suitcase. The other girls in the orphanage donât care much for you, loathing your sheer positivity, which contrasted against their evident cynicism. You used to mind it when you were younger, lamenting over not having a close friend as they all deemed you too odd. Now, however, youâve grown accustomed to fending for yourself.
âAnd where do you think youâre going, princess?â Ara mocks, watching as you lay your suitcase open on your bed. You grab what little clothes you have and shove them inside. âOff to your make-believe castle?â
The other girls echo her laughter, but you donât allow their comments to dig under your skin. You focus on the joy of living with a new family, even if they decide not to keep you.
Anywhere is better than here.
âOh, look girls,â Ara says as she jumps down from her bed. She dangles one of the strings of your tank top on her finger. âMaybe the little miss is off to find herself a boyfriend.â
You glare at her. âGive it back.â
She smirks when she pulls the reaction she wanted out of you. âWhy? Need it for your date tonight?â
You lunge at her and she screams, attracting the attention of the caretakers in the next room over. They find you wrestling with Ara on the floor, the both of you resorting to a screaming mess as you yank at each otherâs hair. The other girls cheer at the spectacle, forming a barricade around your blurry figures before Mrs. Baek invades the scene. She grabs the back of your shirts and hauls you apart, panting as if she ran across the orphanage just to break up the fight.
âThat is it! Iâve had it with the both of you!â She growls, eyes darkening to a frightening shade of black as she looks at you. âI have every nerve not to send you off to your new family tomorrow.â
Your jaw drops at her words and Ara follows suit, albeit for a completely different reason. âShe got adopted?â Ara shrieks, flabbergasted by the thought.
You smile proudly while Mrs. Baek replies, âYes, she did. And if you had only held your tongue for another day, you wouldnât be cleaning the washrooms tomorrow.â
Ara grows flustered at being disciplined in front of everyone. Itâs enough to keep her mouth shut. Mrs. Baek yells that itâs time for lights out, and some of the girls complain due to not having their dinner yet.
âThen you shouldâve been fretting over your empty stomachs rather than inciting this ridiculous squabble. For heavenâs sake, most of you will be of the age next year where you have to earn a sufficient wage on your own. Iâm horrified by the thought.â
She ensures the room is tucked into bed before closing the door and shutting off the lights. You dig your head into your pillow, the corner of your lips twitching upwards at the thought of boarding a train in the morning. Youâve never been on a train before, and you wonder if itâs as glamorous as they say. Your eyes flit downwards to check on your suitcase stuffed under your bed, which was hastily packed by Mrs. Baek before she barked at you not to cause any more trouble. You feel Araâs glare from behind you but you ignore it, dreaming of your new life away from here.
â
Your new family is late.
It concerns you quite a bit but you make an attempt not to show it, speaking to the policeman at the train station with much fervor. You rattle on about your first experience on the train and how it was dazzling to see all of the passing views of nature. He nods politely at you, allowing you to talk as freely as you wish.
The clock continues to tick slowly by, but you assure the policeman that your new family will be here to collect you soon.
The last train departs before you see a haggard man walk up the steps, a slight limp in his left leg. Your hope rises that this may be the new man who will whisk you off to his home. However, he stops and asks the policeman you were conversing with earlier, âExcuse me, sir. Iâm looking for a young boy.â
âNo boy here. Thereâs a girl sent from the orphanage down south. Sheâs been waiting since midday.â
âA g-girl?â
You jump off the rickety bench, gripping your suitcase tightly in one hand and strolling up to the questioning man. You put on your best smile for him as Mrs. Kim taught you.
Keep your hands folded together and bow your head kindly. It shows youâre going to be a good girl for them to host.
You offer him your name. âIt is such a pleasure to meet you. I have been waiting awfully long and worried you were injured along your journey. But then I got swept up in the cherry trees we passed on the train ride⊠Oh, have you ever ridden a train before? It was quite a lovely experience, you see, and Iâd love to tackle it again if given the chance.â
The man blinks heavily at you while the policemanâs eyebrow quirks up in amusement. The man clears his throat, his wrinkled hands wiping away the sweat building from his brow.
âIâm Ilnam of Green Gables,â he introduces, glancing at the clock hanging nearby. âLetâs get going then. Iâll help you take your bag.â
âI got it!â You reply cheerfully. âIâve got all my worldly goods from the orphanage here, but it isnât heavy. They didnât give me much.â You bid goodbye to the policeman and follow Ilnam to his buggy parked nearby. You continue to ramble even though you know Mrs. Baek would be scolding you by now for not understanding social cues. âMrs. Kim from the orphanage told me it would be a long drive to Green Gables, isnât that right? About ten miles. I donât mind, honestly, as I love rides where I can get to fully invest my thoughts into the surroundings. Oh, Iâve heard Green Gables has beautiful trees around the estate, is that true?â
Ilnam gives a curt nod, gently placing your luggage in the back as he helps you into the buggy. You notice heâs not a man of many words, but you deem it to be fine considering you have plenty of words to share yourself.
You provide him a reprieve from conversing for half of the trek, admiring the blooming fauna around you. When youâre only two miles away from Green Gables, you reach your hand out to brush it against one of the trees covered in white snow, slowly melting due to the seasons changing.
âWhat do these trees remind you of?â You ask him, eyes sparkling.
He turns to look at you, both of his hands still gripping the reins of the buggy as the horse trots along. âWhat?â
âThe trees, Ilnam,â you say softly. âDonât they remind you of a winter wedding? A bride dressed head to toe in white, trying not to shiver as she walks down the aisle to her lovely groom? And as soon as her father gives her away, her husband-to-be whispers that sheâs just as beautiful as the falling snow?â
He chuckles. âYouâve got one hell of an imagination.â
âThank you,â you reply proudly, beaming at his acknowledgement. âThe other girls at the orphanage didnât care for it much. Iâm glad I can settle in with a new family who appreciates it.â
At your words, Ilnam tenses suddenly, but you fail to notice it as your eyes are drawn to a shimmering lake over the hill.
âOh, how beautiful!â You exclaim, nearly toppling over the buggy as you lean forward to take a look. Ilnam grabs the back of your dress to block your fall. âWhat is that lake called?â
âThatâs Nohâs pond,â he says, keeping a stray eye locked on you in case your clumsiness pops up again.
âWhat a dreadful name,â you state with a frown. âNot very creative at all. I think we should call it the Lake of Shining Waters. Yes, thatâs it! Thatâs a better suited name, donât you think?â
He shrugs. âBetter than Mr. Nohâs pond, I suppose.â
âAnd who is Mr. Noh?â
âHe lives just up that hill,â he answers, gesturing to the great big house with his chin. âHeâs got a daughter around your age, ready to graduate next year. Her nameâs Hyojung.â
âWow,â you murmur under your breath, sweeping yourself away in fantasies of Hyojung rushing over to Green Gables and declaring you to be friends. âI hope weâll get to meet one day. It would be decadent if we could eat near the Lake of Shining Waters.â
âThereâs Green Gables, up ahead,â he remarks.
You stretch your neck upwards, carefully balancing yourself on the seat of the buggy to not give Ilnam another fright. A grin stretches from ear to ear when you see the white house dressed with a green-gabled rooftop and window shutters. It sits on acres and acres of land, all with well-maintained grass that you assume Ilnam has been taking care of.
He brings the buggy to a halt when you approach the entrance, and a grey-haired woman dashes out, a scowl on her face when she spots you.
âSeo Ilnam,â she says condescendingly. âWhat took you so long? And where is the boy?â
Your heart falls when you recollect Ilnamâs earlier questioning to the policeman. Had they not been expecting you?
âNo boy,â Ilnam replies gruffly, hopping down from the buggy. âI went to the station and there was only her.â
âNo boy?â The woman repeats in exasperation. âThere must have been a boy. We requested a boy.â
âNo boy. Only her.â
You dig your face into your hands, erupting into sobs. âYou donât want me! I shouldâve known that Mrs. Kim made a mistake. Of course you donât want me! You want a boy!â
The woman clicks her tongue, holding the end of her dress as she comes around to you. She helps you step down and chides you. âNow we will have none of that,â she says, taking your hands away from your face. âWeâre not going to turn you away for the night. Weâll bring you back to the station in the morning to get this sorted. Whatâs your name?â
You tell her despite your mouth feeling like itâs been shoved full of rocks. She guides you inside the house, and you would normally marvel at its beauty, but youâre so caught up in wallowing in your pain that you donât get a chance. Now youâll have to return to the orphanage and hear Araâs speech about how youâve never been destined for a family.
âMy name is Ilkyung,â the woman introduces herself, sitting you down on the long dining table. She pours you a cup of milk. âTell me exactly how the orphanage sent you here.â
You sniffle, staring down at the cup pitifully. âMrs. Kim specifically mentioned you requested a farmhand to help around the estate. They decided to send me since Iâm one of the older girls there.â
âThere wasnât a boy they could send?â
Your bottom lip quivers. âAll the older boys have already aged out, maâam. The oldest one we have now is only seven years of age.â She swears lightly, shaking her head and sitting across from you. You try to vouch for yourself. âI can be a good farmhand, maâam, for you and Ilnam. Iâm a good cook and I can learn how to work in those fields.â
Ilnam enters the house, giving Ilkyung a look that you canât quite detect. She stares back at him with narrowed eyes, and you realize theyâre having a wordless conversation. It brings a smile to your face.
âItâs exquisite to have a kindred spirit you can speak to without really speaking,â you comment. Both siblings turn their attention to you. âIâve never seen it before, only read about it. I-Itâs nice.â
A few moments of silence passes before Ilkyung sighs. âWeâll eat supper and then Iâll show you to your room for the night. Iâll bring you to Mrs. Park to discuss this ordeal in the morning.â
Your dream of having a home to call yours crumbles around you.
â
Mrs. Park is not a very pleasant woman.
She brushes off Ilkyungâs complaint swiftly. âIlkyung, I told the orphanage what you directed me. Word for word, line for line. Itâs not my fault they sent a girl to your quarters.â
Ilkyung has the patience of a saint, which you quickly learned after she handled your pathetic cries the entire night. She places her hands over your shoulders.
âI understand that, Hwayoung. No one is shifting blame here. I simply want to get the issue corrected with the orphanage.â
You shirk at being referred to as an issue. Mrs. Park exhales, taking a break from cleaning the buckets on her front porch. You donât even want to ask what used to be contained in them, the smell being enough to ward off your curiosity.
âWell, if you donât want her, I could use another hand around the house. My girl just gave birth to another son,â Mrs. Park says just as a sharp cry rings from inside the house. A girl slightly older than you stumbles out, hair sticking up in different directions and her clothes in disarray. She pleas for Mrs. Park to take care of the baby upstairs. âNo need. Mrs. Seo is offering us a girl who will help.â
You look at Ilkyung with wide eyes and she understands your concern.
âNow, Hwayoung, I didnât say that we wanted to give her away-â
âIlkyung,â Mrs. Park scoffs. âYour eagerness to waste my morning is truly astonishing. Either leave the girl here or return to Green Gables. I donât have the time to write to the orphanage again for you or dawdle while you decide whether you and Ilnam want to keep her.â
Ilkyung smiles tightly. âHave a good rest of your morning, Hwayoung.â
You donât question Ilkyungâs decision as you travel back to Green Gables. You keep your mouth shut for the first time, perpetually worried sheâll turn the cart around and force you to live with Mrs. Park and her numerous grandchildren.
âTell me about your time at the orphanage. I would like to learn,â Ilkyung requests as you come up to the Lake of Shining Waters.
âI was dropped off at the steps when I was a baby. They say my father was a bank worker and my mother was a gardener. Donât you think thatâs so romantic? She was probably planting roses when he came by from his shift at the bank,â you murmur happily. âMrs. Baek says they were as poor as church mice as my father made very little wages. I would like to think we wouldâve come across a great fortune if the fever hadnât taken my mother so poorly. I was only three months old when she passed and my father handed me to the orphanage. I donât blame him in the slightest â what was the man to do when the love of his life disappeared and he had no coins in his name to take care of their child? Frankly, I just wish she lived long enough for me to remember calling her my mother.â
âIâm sorry she didnât,â Ilkyung says apologetically, but you beam at her.
âOh, itâs no worry at all! I know she would have loved me. Mrs. Baek at the orphanage was the one who raised me, and I was taken into another house when I was eight to help a mother raise her children. She had so many twins, three sets of them! It was such a beautiful thing but she didnât have much time to look after them. I told her firmly that she mustnât keep having children as it was growing too much, but her husband was always drunk and didnât take kindly to me.â
âThey didnât treat you well?â She asks, disturbed by the idea.
âThey meant to, they really did! I could tell they wanted to treat me well but it wasnât easy for them to divide up their attention, you see. The babies were always crying and taking up most of the day. They were good people, I just know it.â
Ilkyung swallows at your positivity, holding the reins of the buggy tighter. âAnd did they put you through school?â
You shrug. âIt wasnât a priority for them, which I understand. I learned to read at the orphanage after the family moved away and decided they didnât want to keep me. Itâs been my favorite pastime when Iâm not assigned chores.â
âWell, as long as youâre living under our roof, Iâm putting you through your proper studies,â she says definitively.
A spark of hope blooms in your chest. âOh, does that mean youâre keeping me?â You clasp your fingers together, pinching yourself in case this turns out to be another dream.
She stutters over her reply. âIâm surely not allowing you to stay with Mrs. Park to raise her grandchildren. We will run a test trial for now, as long as you display good manners and listen accordingly. And I wonât have that imagination of yours running wild every second of the day, you must promise to be focused and attentive.â
âYes, yes, thank you, Ilkyung!â You yell as you launch yourself at her, wrapping her in a firm hug. She gasps at the sudden contact but pats your back assuredly. âI wonât let you down, I promise! Iâll bring you and Ilnam the best grades in school, I swear it.â
She peels you away. âNow donât promise what you canât guarantee. Weâll start off small â youâll help me in the kitchen before assisting Ilnam with the lighter tasks around Green Gables.â
Your dream begins to rebuild itself.
â
You slowly adjust to your new life at Green Gables.
Ilkyung teaches you how to sew in the mornings before you help Ilnam with the livestock in the afternoons. Then you assist Ilkyung with preparing supper in the evenings, allowing you to brush up on your cooking repertoire that you picked up on at the orphanage.
Ilkyung never voices her concerns directly, but you know sheâs worried about you attending the local school. Youâre coming in quite late in the year, and the students have already grown up with each other and are ready to embark on the next chapter of their lives. To assimilate you, she brings you over for tea at the Noh residence, where you have a direct view of the Lake of Shining Waters.
Mr. Noh is a stout man with a curly mustache. He has a wife and two daughters, who all look like they should be on display at a beauty parlor. Mrs. Noh greets you with a smile, kissing both of Ilkyungâs cheeks.
âIt is so nice to see you, you and Ilnam never come around for tea,â she murmurs.
Ilkyung rests a hand on your back. âApologies for our absence, weâve been busy with running Green Gables. I wanted to introduce you to our new girl.â
âOh yes,â Mrs. Noh says as she turns to you. Ilkyung fashioned you a new dress just for this occasion, and although the greedy part of you would have liked it to have puffy sleeves, you didnât put up much of an argument. Mrs. Noh examines you carefully, assessing if youâre the right fit to mingle with her daughter. Ilkyung warned you that the town had certain assumptions when it came to adopting orphans, but you take it in stride. âIt is very nice to meet you. Hyojung has been waiting for your arrival.â
Hyojung shyly smiles at you, her hands folded over her stomach properly. Her long black hair reaches her waist, tied up neatly in a giant blue ribbon. Her matching blue dress has the puffy sleeves that you adore, and you try not to sulk at your own frumpy brown dress. Her sister, Chaeyoung, is at least ten years younger as she stares off with a bored look. Sheâs dressed very similarly to Hyojung, except her ensemble is in pink.
âWhy donât you two take a walk through the gardens?â Hyojungâs mother suggests.
Once youâre outside, Hyojung has a hard time finding the right words to say. You, on the other hand, seem to be saying all the wrong things.
â-Iâve just never had a friend of my own before. Itâs odd, I know, but the girls at the orphanage despised me and mocked me endlessly. But I can already tell youâre nothing like them. Do you happen to know what a kindred spirit is?â She shakes her head and you grin. âIlkyung and Ilnam are kindred spirits. They can sense what each other is thinking without having to say it out loud. Their souls are more attuned to the other, intertwining in this beautiful harmony. I-Iâve never found a kindred spirit of my own, I must confess, but I was hoping it could be you.â
âM-Me?â She stutters, laughing softly. âOh, Iâm not too sure. Iâve never been someoneâs kindred spirit before.â
âItâs easy!â You say, taking her hand and leading her to the Lake of Shining Waters. âWhat do you see when you look out here?â
Hyojung shrugs. âA lake.â
âNot just any lake, the Lake of Shining Waters! See, look at how the sunlight beams across the water and reflects into a million dazzling lights. Doesnât it make you think of a picnic in the summer, feeling the breeze nip at your face while the birds chirp around you?â
She giggles at you. âThat sounds nice.â
âIt is nice, Hyojung. And thatâs what the lake represents â the happiness you feel when you see the shining waters.â
She purses her lips before looping her arm through yours. âI think we will be great kindred spirits. You should know the hierarchy of the classroom before your first day though. Soeun runs a tight ship and she has a crush on Na Jaemin, so donât even bother looking in his direction. She can sense it.â
âWhoâs Na Jaemin?â You inquire with furrowed eyebrows.
She scoffs. âWhoâs Na Jaemin? Heâs the most desired guy in our year. Top of the class, good looks, heading off to medical school next year⊠heâs everything a girl wants. Soeunâs been trying to win his affections since we were children, but it hasnât really been working out for her.â
âWell, Iâll do my best to stay far from him.â
The Noh family dines you and Ilkyung for the evening before youâre finding your way back to Green Gables. When Ilkyung asks you if youâre getting along with Hyojung, you excitedly relay to her how youâve finally discovered your kindred spirit. It eases her worries regarding your isolation from the rest of the other students.
You walk arm in arm with Hyojung on your first day, not revealing to her how you stayed up the whole night speculating on the different ways today could go wrong. Ilkyung reminded you over breakfast to hold your tongue and be mindful of when others need to speak their turn.
âIâll introduce you,â Hyojung whispers to you as you step inside the schoolhouse, hanging up your hats together. âSoeun might make a fuss, but sheâll get used to it.â
The classroom is small, nearly the same size as the dining room of Green Gables. There are sixteen tables total, divided on each side of the room for the girls and the boys. The girls are already huddled into a circle in the middle while the boys throw around a ball in the corner. Each eye turns to you as you enter, and Hyojung squeezes your arm in reassurance.
âGirls, meet our newest member,â Hyojung says as she introduces you to the group. The girls assess you with an inquisitive raising of the eyebrow, and the one with the frilly yellow bow in her hair speaks first.
âWe heard you came from the orphanage.â
âSoeun,â Hyojung scolds. âWhere have your manners gone?â
âItâs fine,â you say, resting a hand over hers as you watch her scowl at Soeun. âYes, I was orphaned when I was an infant after my parents passed. But now I live at Green Gables with the Seoâs, and I would much rather focus on the present than the past, donât you think?â
Soeun narrows her eyes but doesnât utter another remark about your upbringing. âAnyways, we were just talking about how Mark plans on asking Sookyung if he can walk her home.â
The girls in the circle squeal while one of them blushes beet red. She hits Soeunâs arm playfully and whines in embarrassment.
âAnd what about you, Soeun? When is Jaemin finally going to ask you out?â Another girl asks.
Soeun waves her off. âWe still have time. Donât you girls worry about me.â
The teacher starts the lesson and you scramble into your seats. Hyojung smiles at you when you occupy the seat next to her, and you offer her a grateful grin in return.
âToday, we will be discussing the history of the late war,â your teacher drawls, his eyes sunken in and bored by the sound of his voice. He begins reciting whateverâs written in the text in his manual while you take notes on your blackboard slate. You hang onto his every word, intending to fulfill your promise to Ilkyung to bring home the best grades in the class.
The local community of mothers was the one who decided whether or not to bring you into the schoolhouse. There were doubts due to you being an orphan and slowing the rest of the students down. Ilkyung attended many meetings to vouch for you, and it relieved some of the members to know you already learned how to read and write. You were set on not only proving them wrong about their initial presumptions, but also showing up at the top of the list compared to your fellow classmates.
When youâre dismissed for lunch, the girls are a giggling mess, curling in on themselves over the stray crumbs dusting the teacherâs mustache. You join in on their fun as you gather around outside, opening your lunch boxes and conversing together. Soeun and Sookyung dance around in a circle, recreating what they believe your teacher gets up to in his after hours.
You chortle as you sit at the end of the line, watching them with gleeful eyes. Youâre about to jump up and join them when an apple suddenly rolls in front of you.
âSorry,â a tender voice apologizes, leaning down to pick up the lonely fruit. Your eyes raise to meet ones that sparkle just like the Lake of Shining Waters. His smile stretches from ear to ear, radiating the most gorgeous features youâve ever seen in your life. âThe boys never watch where theyâre throwing-â
âJaemin,â Soeun murmurs, abruptly ceasing her hopping.
He snaps his head up to look at her as the reality of his name crashes down around you. You scurry away from his figure as if heâs burned you, and he glances back down at you in confusion.
Hyojung senses your cry for help. âUm, girls, perhaps we should head back inside.â She gives them an aggressive nod of her head before they all get her message, following you inside the schoolhouse while leaving Jaemin and Soeun to their own devices.
You fail to recognize Jaeminâs eyes trailing you the entire way, only focused on the fact that you dodged a bullet out there with Soeun. The other girls are whispering to themselves about the possibility of Jaemin and Soeun getting together. When Soeun comes back in with flushed cheeks, she refuses to tell the rest of you what occurred outside. Jaemin floats in shortly after, eyes locked on you. You rapidly dart your gaze away, sitting ramrod straight in your seat.
The day passes by successfully, and you nearly believe youâre in the clear until the last lesson of the day. Youâre so excited to recant to Ilkyung about your new friends and your ability to hold in your tongue like you promised. Itâs all thwarted when a singular piece of chalk gets thrown at your head.
âPsst,â a voice hisses, and despite only hearing him talk once, you can already guess who it is. The teacherâs back is turned, writing a few arithmetic equations on the board. A couple of the boys chuckle at Jaemin. âHey, psst.â
Another piece of chalk is flung from across the room. Hyojung gives you a concerned look. You ignore it, drilled in on solving the equation in front of you.
âHey, princess.â
Youâre instantly swept in a flurry of bad memories of Ara taunting you.
âAw, girls, look at this! The poor princess has her nose in a book again. You can keep reading but no prince is going to jump out and save you.â
âDo you see that, girls? The princess here is dreaming of a big white castle with a family at the end of the rainbow.â
âWhatâs the matter, princess? Did the big scary monster come to assign you chores?â
Before you can fully register your actions, you find yourself striding to him, bringing your slate down over his head and cracking it in pieces.
âHow dare you!â
The entire classroom falls into a deadly silence. The girls are covering their mouths to prevent a gasp from escaping while the boys are snickering to themselves. Your teacher spins around, eyes blazing with fury. He growls out your name.
Before he can reign fire down on you, Jaemin stands up with dust littered in his hair as he says, âIt was my fault, sir. I was picking on her.â
âTo witness such a temper stem from a pupil of my own astounds me beyond belief. Go stand on the platform in front of the blackboard for the rest of the day.â
âBut sir-â
âAnd Iâve heard enough from you, Na Jaemin. I expect more from our top student.â
You shamefully spend the rest of the day standing in front of the blackboard. You keep your eyes planted on your feet, curling your fingers into your palm until your nails dig into the skin. When class is eventually released, Hyojung rushes over to you, handing you your book bag. You keep your head held high while you walk away, disregarding Jaeminâs attempts to apologize.
âI really am sorry, I didnât mean to get you in trouble. Letâs not hold grudges.â
You huff and tug on Hyojungâs arm, declining to look in his general direction. Hyojung mumbles your name. âCome on. You canât be mad at him forever. Jaemin makes fun of all the girls! Soeunâs not even upset with you over it.â
âI shall never forgive Na Jaemin,â you tell her with certainty. âUntil the day I die, the iron has entered into my soul where it shall remain forever.â
âOh, youâre so dramatic.â
â
The school days with Na Jaemin donât grow any easier.
By the third week, due to you running late from Green Gables, your teacher forced you away from Hyojung and sat you directly next to Jaemin. The boy was kind enough not to pester you, keeping his attention on the lessons at hand. However, every now and then, you often find a tiny heart-shaped candy underneath your arm that only he could leave behind for you. You usually throw them on the ground in front of him and dig your heel into it until it crumbles into powder.
He even manages to hold his top spot in the class with you right below him.
You complain to Ilkyung about it constantly, who does nothing but stare at you fondly. âHe is the most aggravating boy I have ever met in my life! Everyone thinks heâs a saint, Ilkyung, but I know better! That Na Jaemin is nothing but a troublemaker out for my blood. He plans to use my sorrow to dangle my failure in front of everyone, I just know it. Heâs at home planning my demise as we speak!â
âYouâll do better in your studies if you focus more on your books than the likes of Na Jaemin,â Ilkyung advises with a knowing look in her eye. Ilnam walks in, brushing off the snow starting to come in on his jacket. âIlnam, tell her how she should be emphasizing her attention in school rather than boys.â
Your jaw drops open. âI do not enjoy your implication! Na Jaemin is not just a boy, heâs⊠heâsâŠâ
âMr. Na is a good man,â Ilnam comments, not fully registering Ilkyungâs ask paired with your frustration. âHis boy is alright as well from what Iâve heard. Decent head on his shoulders, top of his class, and it would do the town some good to have a well-bred doctor in such close proximity.â
You throw him the most menacing look you can conjure. Ilnam clears his throat.
âB-But of course, heâs nothing compared to you, sweetheart. Smartest girl Iâve ever seen, isnât that right, Ilkyung?â
Before you can unleash another set of choice words against Na Jaemin, Ilkyung instructs you to help Ilnam sort through the hay in the barn. You pout as you work, imagining all the ways youâre going to study hard enough to beat your enemy.
Ilnam tries again while youâre raking through stacks of hay. âAs much as I love you bringing home good grades for us, I hope youâre not losing any sleep for the Na boy.â
You sneer. âHe wishes I was.â
Ilnam smiles. âYou know, when I was younger, there was a girl my age who didnât like me very much. She always thought I was too quiet and hiding behind Ilkyungâs coattails. I never understood why she despised me until she got engaged. She told me she wished I was the one who proposed.â
âOh, Ilnam,â you squeal, clutching your fingers together. âThat is so romantic. Did you sweep her off her feet and pick a fresh bouquet of daisies for her? Tell her to leave the other man and run off with you in the sunset?â
He chuckles and shakes his head. âNo, I told her it was a good idea to marry him. I had to take care of matters at Green Gables after our parents passed, and I had no time to entertain her fantasies. But the point is that she treated me poorly because she didnât know another way to convey her feelings.â
You furrow your eyebrows, about to question what he could possibly mean by that statement before Hyojung rushes in the barn. Sheâs panting, holding her chest as she gasps, âChaeyoung is sick! S-She keeps coughing and canât breathe and I donât know what to do! Father and mother have gone into town and thereâs no one to call for the doctor.â
You drop your rake and bolt to Hyojungâs side, holding her shaking form. Ilnam is immediately throwing on his coat before mounting one of the horses in the stables.
âHeâs going to fetch a doctor,â you say to Hyojung as Ilnam rides off. âWeâve become such kindred spirits that I can read his thoughts. It sounds like Chaeyoung has the croup. What have you tried to cure her?â
Hyojung hiccups between sobs. âI-I donât know. Our aunt, Nayoung, is in town and sheâs opened all the windows to help with C-Chaeyoungâs breathing.â
âYou mustnât forget I used to care for multiple pairs of baby twins. They got croup all the time. Let me find a bottle of ipecac in the house and weâll head to Chaeyoung straight away.â
Ilkyung yelps when you burst through the door and rifle through the medicine cabinet. âChaeyoungâs sick with the croup,â you explain to her while Hyojung continues to cry in the doorway. âIâm going over to help and Ilnamâs gone into town to get the doctor. Hyojungâs parents are out having dinner.â
Ilkyung inhales, dusting her hands over her apron as she turns off the stove. âWell, someone needs to inform her parents. Iâll take the buggy.â
As soon as you locate the clear brown bottle, you grab Hyojungâs hand and throw a scarf around your neck. You race towards her house, your boots crunching against the snow as you sprint. You find Chaeyoung releasing weak coughs as she lays on the Nohâs living room sofa. Hyojungâs aunt, Nayoung, hovers over her with a worried expression.
You swiftly get to work as Hyojung clarifies the situation to Nayoung, divulging about your past with caring for small children.
âHyojung, go boil some more hot water for Chaeyoung. Miss Nayoung, please add more wood to the fire, sheâs grown too cold,â you instruct as you twist the cap of the bottle in your hands. You elevate Chaeyoungâs head and pour a few drops of ipecac down her throat. She groans at the taste but you force her to swallow.
The rest of the night is filled with much uncertainty. Hyojung and Nayoung kept to their tasks, with Hyojung serving her sister and Nayoung filling the fireplace with new logs of wood at every given chance. By the time Ilnam returns with the doctor two hours later, the worst of Chaeyoungâs sickness has passed.
You jump up when they enter, rapidly explaining the story to the doctor. He kneels down to check on Chaeyoungâs temperature as you say, âHer cough was getting worse and worse and I had great fear due to the bottle of ipecac running out. I didnât want to worry the others but I was not certain of her state when I gave the last dose. Luckily, she started to cough up the phlegm immediately afterwards and has been recovering since then.â
When Mr. and Mrs. Noh return with Ilkyung in tow, the doctor swears that if it wasnât for you, Chaeyoung would have been in a state heâs not sure he couldâve saved her from. Mrs. Noh envelopes you into her arms with a sharp cry, thanking you over and over again for saving her child.
Exhausted beyond belief, you smile and tell her, âIt was nothing. I would do anything to help your family.â
Before Ilkyung and Ilnam escort you back home, Nayoung gives you a firm pat on the shoulder. âYouâve done great work here, girl. Please come visit me in the city any time you wish.â
And when you sit at your desk the next day, Jaemin murmurs to you, âI heard what you did for the Noh family. How did you ever think of using the ipecac first?â
Thinking heâs making a show just to point out your flaws, you raise your chin high in the air as you reply, âIâve had experience with the croup before. Many children in the orphanage caught it during this time of year.â
He grins. âWell, I think youâre brilliant. I certainly wouldâve never thought of it first.â
Your shoulders deflate as you let your walls down slightly. âReally? But youâre going to be a doctor.â
He winks. âI wonât say anything if you donât.â
You clear your throat and return your attention to your blackboard, ignoring the way your stomach erupts in butterflies.
â
Your first Christmas morning with the Seoâs is perhaps the most delightful holiday youâve ever had.
Ilkyung and you have been cooking for what feels like a week, preparing to host the Nohâs. The morning, however, is just for you, Ilkyung, and Ilnam.
Although Ilkyung warned you that they may not have the funds for gifts this year, Ilnam hands you a beautifully wrapped box. You blink at him with wide eyes from your spot on the floor in the living room as they sit on the couch.
He smiles and nods sheepishly. âA C-Christmas present for you. I know youâve never had one before.â
âOh, Ilnam,â you wheeze, feeling as if your heart is about to beat out of your chest. âYou didnât have to do this. Thank you.â
You unbox the gift, slowly peeling back the wrapping paper before gasping when you see what lays inside. The dress is the same shade of brown Ilkyung uses to sew your current wardrobe, but it has the gorgeous silk lining you see in Hyojungâs dresses with a fanned out skirt and a lacy ruffle neckline. The sleeves are the best part, puffy and pleasing to the eye.
You burst out in tears, alarming Ilnam. âDo you not like it?â
âLike it? I can never thank you enough for this. Iâve never owned something so exquisite in my life. I really do believe I could never be happier than I am right now.â
âItâs a wonderful gift, even if it did cost more than expected,â Ilkyung says, raising an eyebrow at Ilnam. âDry up your tears, child. The Nohâs will be here soon.â
The Nohâs arrive in the middle of you hugging Ilnam to death, thanking him over and over for his gift. Ilkyung chides you as she pries you off of him, lecturing for you to say your proper greetings. Once the adults are off setting the breakfast table, you squeal to Hyojung about your new dress.
âThat is perfect,â she replies with sparkling eyes. âBecause Aunt Nayoung was here a week ago and she left you a gift of her own.â
âWhat? For me?â
Hyojung passes you a ravishing pair of silk-covered heels, pointed at the toes and embroidered with a soft lace. Youâve never seen a singular piece of footwear look so fine.
âHyojung, my goshâŠâ
âI know, arenât they so elegant? She wanted to thank you for all your help with Chaeyoung. She said she felt quite useless until you arrived, and sheâs never seen someone so brave,â she giggles. âTheyâll couple so nicely with your new dress.â
âIâve never been given so many cherished items at once. Iâll remember this day forever, I swear it to you.â
The rest of your Christmas afternoon goes off without a hitch. Chaeyoung is teetering with excitement, a contrast from her fragile form weeks ago. Ilnam shows Mr. Noh the horses in the stables while Ilkyung teaches Mrs. Noh her pie recipe. You and Hyojung converse gleefully in your room, discussing your plans after schooling.
âMy mother wants to marry me off so I can run my own household,â Hyojung remarks, balancing her chin in her palm as she stares out your bedroom window. âI only hope I marry a man as good as my father. He doesnât have to be handsome. I just want him to be kind.â
âI would never allow an evil man to wed my kindred spirit,â you declare while you sit criss crossed on your bed. You chew on your lower lip. âWill you really not pursue your studies any further?â
âNot all of our parents are as open-minded as Ilkyung and Ilnam. My motherâs raised me a certain way since I was a baby, I hardly think sheâll relent on her ideals now.â
âIâm not one to sit idly by and let you become engrossed in embroidery,â you huff. âYou know what? Weâll start a book club. Itâs about time the women in this town got their fair share of education.â
âThatâs a splendid idea! Mother barely lets me rifle through our history books and- Is that Na Jaemin?â
Your head snaps up. She looks out the window, squinting slightly. âMy word, that really is him.â
You dash down the stairs, and something deep in your chest flutters when you see Jaemin standing in the doorway, handing Ilkyung a fresh plate of cookies. âTheyâre my motherâs recipe,â he says with a grin. âIâm not as good of a baker as she was, but I didnât want to come over empty handed for the holidays.â
âThese are just lovely, Jaemin. Thank you,â Ilkyung says before gesturing for him to come inside. âIt must have been a long walk for you, Iâll make you a cup of hot cocoa.â
You and Hyojung stand at the bottom of the staircase facing the door, wide eyed at the sight of him. Heâs wearing a turtleneck green jumper, paired with black slacks and a long heavy coat. You didnât even know that he knew where you lived, but you suppose in a town as small as this one, it isnât that difficult to figure out. He discards his boots by the door and unwraps the scarf from his neck, beaming when he sees you.
âMerry Christmas, ladies,â he greets. âHave you been staying warm?â
At your sudden bout of silence, Hyojung pipes up, âMerry Christmas, Jaemin. What brings you all the way to Green Gables?â
âMy father and I always bake cookies and hand them out to our neighbors. Itâs a Christmas tradition,â he shares.
Hyojung nudges you in the back, ripping you from your daydreams as you state, âBut your house is miles from here. Farther than the Lake of Shining Waters and the school.â
âThe Lake of Shining Waters?â
You purse your lips. âItâs a nickname.â
He nods as a faint blush colors his cheeks. âW-Well, the walk was good for me. Cleared my mind and everything.â
Hyojungâs eyebrow quirks up. âYouâve never come by my house to give my family cookies.â
âThatâs because- Thatâs, um-â
âGirls,â Ilkyung interrupts, laying a hand on Jaeminâs shoulder and handing him a cup of hot cocoa. âDonât pester our guest. Weâre very grateful for his decision to trek over here.â
You help her prepare the table settings for supper. Mrs. Noh happily displays her roasted chicken in the center while Ilkyung fills the empty space with her side dishes. Ilnam and Mr. Noh sit at the heads of the table and you take your seat next to Hyojung, startled when Jaemin immediately slides into the spot next to you.
âWhat are you doing?â You hiss lowly at him.
He blinks twice. âSitting?â
Mrs. Noh claps her hands to gather everyoneâs attention, freeing Jaemin from your inevitable wrath. âI want to say a huge thank you to Ilkyung and Ilnam for allowing us into their home this Christmas. And of course, Iâm indebted forever to their dear one, who saved our Chaeyoung from her terrible illness,â she says with her hands clasped together, glancing at you with shining eyes. You smile softly at her. âWe would have been in such a wretched heap of despair if it wasnât for your brilliance.â
Jaemin begins to clap and the rest of the table follows in pursuit. You laugh shyly, shaking your head at their gratitude. You look up to see Jaemin smirking proudly at you and you swallow nervously, wondering what you could have possibly done in your previous life to deserve such acclaim from him.
âPlease, it was honestly a return of affection for everything Hyojungâs given me since I arrived at Green Gables. I could have never believed I would arrive in this town and make a home. Itâs been a dream come true.â
The table smiles at your statement, and you catch Ilnam wiping his tears away out of the corner of your eye. Ilkyung jokes for everyone to start eating before the food is covered in tears.
While youâre dining, Jaemin quietly asks you, âWhat type of field are you striving for after school? I think you would be a great addition to the local college here.â
You put away your supposed hatred of him for this one exchange. âI donât think itâs in our budget right now,â you say, recalling Ilkyungâs earlier remark about your dress. âBut I did want to pursue teaching, and try to write if I have the time.â
âTheyâre always giving scholarships away. With your grades and talent, Iâd be shocked if they didnât give it to you on a silver platter.â
You cough awkwardly at his blatant praise. You try to divert the subject away from you. âD-Did your father not want to join us for supper?â
The question has his expression falling slightly. He pokes at the chicken on his plate. âHeâs under the weather. Didnât want to bring the mood down, thatâs all.â
Hyojung pokes at your side. âIf youâre done flirting with Na Jaemin, can you please pass me the potatoes?â
You glare at her, ignoring her teasing giggle.
After supper, you say your goodbyes and escort the Nohâs to the door. Hyojung kisses your cheek, making you swear to start the book club as soon as the holidays are finished. Jaemin trails behind them, wrapping his scarf back around his neck.
âIt really was a tasty dinner, thank you for having me,â he says to Ilkyung and shakes Ilnamâs hand. He swivels around to you. âAnd I hope you like the cookies. I can make more if you ever need it.â
âO-Okay.â
When Ilkyung shuts the door, she throws you a suggestive look. You scoff and occupy yourself with cleaning the table.
âCome join us in the living room. We have something to share with you.â
When you gather together, they stand you in front of a large book perched on a stand in the corner of the room. Itâs flipped open to a page full of names, with Ilkyung and Ilnamâs being the last ones.
âWeâve been speaking with the orphanage these past few weeks,â she says, brushing your hair away from your face. You inhale at the revelation. âAnd finally got your adoption paperwork settled. This book has been passed down in the Seo generation for centuries. Every new child signs their name when they come of age. We saved a spot for you right here.â
She points at the blank area below Ilkyungâs name. Your eyes well with tears, overwhelmed by the thought of being accepted into their family. Ilnam chuckles, patting your head affectionately.
âGo on, sweetheart. Seal the deal.â
As you shakily pick up the quill pen and inscribe your name, Ilkyung and Ilnam wrap you in a warm hug. Itâs then that you officially decide youâll never have a better Christmas.
â
âYou have to be the one. Thereâs no way Iâm getting in that boat!â
âYouâre such a coward, Soeun.â
âThen why donât you try it, Sookyung?â
âYouâre all ruining the vision,â you scold, gripping a handful of daisies. âWeâre supposed to be girls who have been widowed by our one true love. Weâve succumbed to our tragedy, accepting our fate by floating out into the river, where the Earth will decide how to dispose of our bodies.â
Ever since Soeunâs uncle passed away shortly after the new year and the poem youâre reading for your book club discusses the fate of a widowed bride, youâve all become obsessed with glamorizing death. In the poem, the girl sealed her devastating fate by climbing into a boat, holding a bouquet of flowers, and drifting away into the night. She was never heard from or seen again.
The girls insisted on recreating the moment, leading you to the lake. Hyojung borrowed a small canoe from her father and Sookyung picked the flowers from her motherâs yard. However, once you got to the final step, all of them chickened out of actually playing the role of the widow.
âIâll be her,â you proclaim, and they exhale in relief. âBut you must say the lines, and with fervor. Itâs only right that we recreate the scene exactly. Wait for me at the other side of the river.â
With help from Hyojung, you step into the canoe, laying down as you rest your hands over your chest. You close your eyes when Soeun begins the rehearsed dialogue.
âSister, farewell forever,â she murmurs, throwing dried flower petals over your form.
âFarewell, sweet sister.â
âAnd she lay as though she smiled,â Hyojung finishes, giving a small push to the canoe.
You start floating down the river, exactly like the poem describes. You marvel at the solitude, listening to the birds chirping in your ear. Itâs all straight out of a novel if youâve ever read it, but itâs abruptly disrupted by a stream of water soaking your dress.
You shriek, eyes popping wide open as you sit up. Water continues to fill the boat, progressing fast enough where you understand you wonât possibly make it to the other side. As you come up to the nearby bridge, you quickly grasp the foothold, holding onto it tightly as the canoe sinks.
You hear the girls begin to scream loudly when they donât see you return. You ponder on if theyâll get help and save you from this uncomfortable experience, but another boat slowly comes up beside you.
Na Jaemin says your name with amusement. âI must say, I did not expect to find you here on my Sunday afternoon.â
You roll your eyes. âAre you going to just sit there or help me like a gentleman?â
He laughs before extending his hand. You take it gratefully, stepping into his boat. You sit across from him, drenched from head to toe. You cross your arms over your chest and donât utter a single word to him.
âSo youâre not going to explain-â
âNo,â you gruffly reply. âBut I am very much obliged to you.â
He sighs. âI donât want you to feel obliged to me. Canât we be friends already? You know I was only joking with you on your first day. I didnât mean to mock you by calling you a princess, even if I think you look exactly like one. Letâs forgive and forget, please.â
You stare at his hopeful countenance, remembering how kind he was to you over the holidays. You also craved his cookies for weeks after, resisting the urge to walk over to his house and ask for another batch.
âFine. Friends. And friends only.â
He beams at you, grinning widely. He begins to row the boat back to shore, and you avoid his inquisitive gaze. The girls are in hysterics when you arrive, pulling you out and hugging you tightly.
âWe thought you had drowned and died,â Hyojung sobs into your shoulder. âIt wasnât romantic at all! Nothing like the poem.â
You assure them with gentle pats, and Jaemin anchors the boat to the dock. Soeun perks up when she sees him.
âOh Jaemin, were you the one who saved her? A true knight in shining armor, indeed!â
He nods. âIâm happy to help.â The girls move to take you away and leave Jaemin and Soeun on their own, but he clears his throat to stop you. He addresses you by calling your name before questioning, âB-Before you go, I wanted to ask if you had any plans for Valentineâs Day.â
Hyojung and Sookyungâs jaws drop while Soeun acts as if someone just stabbed her in the back.
You stutter. âI- Thatâs- Iâm not-â
âSheâs going to my Aunt Nayoungâs annual Valentineâs party. You should come too, Jaemin. Itâs at her big mansion in the city,â Hyojung invites.
You shoot her a bewildered look while he replies, âAre you sure? I wouldnât be imposing?â
âOf course not. She would be happy to have you.â
He smirks. âPerfect. Iâll be there. Now if you ladies donât mind, I have to get back to fishing.â
When he drifts away in his boat, Soeun stomps away from you, grumbling to herself. Sookyung throws you an apologetic look before following after her. You pinch the bridge of your nose in exasperation.
âWhat was that?â You bark at your best friend. âHow dare he ask me that in front of everyone like- like-â
âLike he likes you?â Hyojung finishes.
You glare at her, still soaked from the lake. âNo. And how could you invite him to your auntâs party? You know I havenât even asked Ilkyung if I can go yet.â
âSheâll let you, come on,â Hyojung insists as she helps you trudge back to Green Gables. âIf not, Iâll have my mother convince her. Plus, how can you not see how head over heels Jaemin is for you? That boy looks at you constantly and Christmas? Donât even get me started. His house is miles from here, there was no other reason for him to stop by than to see you.â
âI wonât let you go on any longer. I have never harbored any affection for Na Jaemin and I never will. Have you forgotten about my dreams, Hyojung? I donât want to be the wife and mother. I want to write and teach and earn enough income so that Ilkyung and Ilnam can retire comfortably.â
âSilly girl,â she murmurs as she nudges you playfully. âYou can have all of that and Na Jaemin too.â
When you arrive back to Green Gables, Ilkyung gasps in shock as Hyojung escorts you in. âWhat in heavens have you done to yourself, child?â
You narrow your eyes as she grabs a towel to dry you off. âHyojung got me into a giant mess.â
âDonât listen to her, Ilkyung,â Hyojung says. âWhat she meant to say is that my Aunt Nayoung invited us to her Valentineâs party next weekend. Could we please go together? My parents will be tagging along, and Aunt Nayoung already approved of her staying for the weekend.â
A worried expression falls over Ilkyungâs face as she swaddles you in one of Ilnamâs jackets. âIâm not too sure. Your parents will be there the whole time?â
âYes,â Hyojung confirms. âI wonât take my eyes off her, I promise.â
Ilkyung exhales. âI suppose you are old enoughâŠâ
âI really donât have to go, Ilkyung, if you think I shouldnât-â
Hyojung pinches your forearm and you squeal. She smiles at Ilkyung.
âIâll come pick her up next weekend!â
â
Ilnam starts to cry when you walk down the steps of Green Gables, wearing the ensemble gifted to you on Christmas.
âOh, please donât cry,â you say, watching as he blows his nose into his handkerchief.
âHeâs a big teddy bear for his daughter,â Ilkyung remarks with an affectionate head shake. She swipes a light pink powder over your cheeks. âBe on your best behavior for Hyojungâs aunt. And I want to hear all about your adventures when you return.â
You ride with the Noh family in their huge buggy to Nayoungâs estate. Itâs as lavish as Hyojung described, with massive gardens and towering columns. Hyojung told you on the way that her aunt never married, settling by herself in her big house. She was also very fickle and quick to anger, which is why Hyojung guesses sheâs chosen to be alone for the rest of her life.
âThere you are,â Nayoung mumbles as she walks down her long hallway to greet you at the door. Her cane taps loudly against the wood flooring. âKept me waiting long enough.â
âSorry, sister,â Mr. Noh says, offering her a kiss on the cheek.
She waves him off. âNothing to do about it now. Suyeon will show you to your rooms. The party begins in an hour.â
You and Hyojung yelp joyously when youâre placed in the same room. You jump on top of the bed in a massive giggling fit.
You look at her mischievously. âWhat if tonightâs the night you find your dashing suitor? I can picture it now â the clock will strike midnight while you two are dancing in your own little world. Nayoung will tell you the partyâs over but he wonât be as willing to part from you. Heâll drop down on one knee right there and demand for your hand in marriage.â
âYouâve been driven to lunacy,â she says, tickling your sides as you erupt in laughter. âPure lunacy. Nayoung would never invite that many men close to our age. Her friends are more of the decrepit type, standing on their last good leg. I believe the only viable suitor attending this party will be Na Jaemin.â
You scoff, pushing her away. âI still cannot fathom the reason why you invited him.â
âYou have to dance with him if he asks.â
âI will do nothing of the sort, Noh Hyojung!â You heave, appalled by her pronouncement. âJust because I agreed to be friends with him does not mean I will follow him down the aisle. Heâll probably get wed to a sensible, well-bred girl with a massive fortune to her name. It seems rightfully in character for him.â
She catches the forlorn look in your eye. âYouâre jealous! Youâre jealous of a girl who might not even exist.â
âNot true!â
âSo true!â
âAnd what might you ladies be discussing here?â
At the sound of Nayoungâs voice, you both spring up from the bed, smoothing out the fabric of your dresses. She analyzes you with an uptick of her eyebrow.
Hyojung stammers, âO-Oh, nothing of importance, Aunt Nayoung.â
âYou better run downstairs. The guests will be arriving soon,â she says. Hyojung scuttles off and you shadow behind her, but Nayoung stops you with the tapping of her cane. âI was delighted to hear your mother allowed you to come today.â
You graciously smile. âI was thankful to be invited, Miss Nayoung, and I must express my appreciation for the gorgeous pair of shoes you sent me for Christmas. Iâve never owned something more divine.â
âYou have a brilliant mind in here,â she says, knocking lightly on your temple. âI hope Ilnam isnât treating you like my son is with his daughters. A girl with your brains should be more than a housewife.â
âI plan on a higher education, maâam, if the fates will allow. A scholarship would be the only way I could afford to go,â you reveal. âIlkyung and Ilnam pour every ounce of themselves into maintaining Green Gables and selling off necessities to the market in town. They didnât exactly plan to adopt an orphan girl and pay for her schooling.â
âEasy solution then. Iâll pay for your schooling.â
âW-What?â
Her expression shifts into something more stern. âI have a large fortune and no nieces to spend it on. Hyojung and Chaeyoung will be betrothed to good families and I want to make sure you are taken care of. Iâve never seen someone so young step up to such a big challenge like you did that night. It should be rewarded.â
âOh, Miss Nayoung, I really canât-â
âProtest all you want, dear. It wonât change my mind. Now get downstairs and dance with that boy youâre so keen about.â
The party is already in full swing downstairs. Most of the guests have arrived, chatting avidly to one another over their glasses of champagne. You spot Hyojung in the corner, attempting to keep Chaeyoung under control. Then, as soon as you reach the end of the staircase, Jaemin walks in.
Heâs wearing a black suit and tie, handing off his coat to the worker nearby. You inhale, slowly making your way across the room. The bottom of your dress drags over the floor and you scan your puffy sleeves out of the corner of your eye, verifying that they are indeed still there.
When you land in front of him, his jaw drops open. âW-Wow. You look beautiful.â
âThank you,â you reply curtly, trying not to show how much his statement affects you. âYou donât look half as bad yourself.â
He glances down at his ensemble before chuckling. âThanks. W-Will you save me a dance later?â
You swallow. âSure. Thatâs what friends do, right?â
He smiles. âYeah. Thatâs what friends do.â
When you try to catch your breath at the refreshment table, Hyojung eyes you in a superior manner. âI thought you said you wouldnât accept a dance with Na Jaemin if he asked?â
âI recommend keeping your smug comments to yourself, Noh Hyojung.â
A few of Nayoungâs friends request a dance with you, only being able to sway slightly back and forth due to their arthritis. The older women inquire about your studies, and some of them question you regarding your previous life at the orphanage. You even observe Hyojung speaking to a young gentleman out of the corner of your eye. A blush spreads across her cheeks the longer they converse, and the red hue only deepens when he takes her out on the dance floor.
âReady for our dance?â
You nearly spit out the contents of your punch when Jaemin appears in front of you. Heâs holding a singular rose, half-shy as he extends it to you. Youâre about to accept it when he breaks off the stem, tucking the flower behind your ear and admiring you. Your face grows warm underneath his touch.
You take his hand and rest your palm on his shoulder, ignoring the way your heart pounds in your chest when he wraps an arm around your waist. The string of the violin fills your ears as you twirl around the ballroom with him.
âI wanted to thank you for saving me down by the lake,â you say to him, lost in his unrelenting stare. âI wasnât as appreciative as I should have been that day, and I acknowledge that. I probably would have been left hanging on that bridge until one of the girls had the sense to call someone for help. Then I really wouldâve gotten in trouble with Ilkyung.â
He laughs, giddy as he spins you around. âIt was my pleasure, really. There havenât been many days since your arrival that youâve asked me for help. I cherish those moments more than anything.â
ïżœïżœïżœWhy are you so nice to me? Iâve given you nothing but grief since I arrived at Green Gables, yet your enthusiasm has never wavered.â
âI like you, is that so hard to believe?â
His eyes pierce through yours and you start to feel that pull youâve read in your romance novels. A string of fate ties your heart to his, urging you closer to the man you once vowed to hate. The looming thought of grades and graduation slip from your mind as the jabbering of the crowd fades away. His gaze flickers down to your mouth, and you find yourself leaning in-
A body abruptly slams into yours and you gasp, clinging onto the lapels of Jaeminâs suit to ground yourself. An elderly man apologizes to you for his clumsiness, but the moment between you and Jaemin has already passed. You scurry away from him, trying to calm the adrenaline spiking through your veins.
âI-I should go check on Hyojung,â you murmur, wiping the sweat from your brow.
âYes, o-of course,â he stutters, quite pink in the cheeks himself. âHappy Valentineâs Day.â
âHappy Valentineâs Day, Na Jaemin.â
â
âI canât look! Please, just seal my monstrous fate and allow the Earth to swallow me whole. Itâs my destiny, and I should very well accept it at this point.â
âIâve never met another soul as dramatic as you,â Hyojung says with a roll of her eyes. She holds your letter between her fingers, and you shut your eyes in fear of its contents. âWe all know youâre a shoe in for the girlsâ college. I donât know why you insist on giving yourself such a fright.â
âJust open it, Hyojung. Tell me if my fortune ties me to a state of devastation.â
She breaks open the seal, fanning out the paper in front of her. She scrutinizes the first few lines before jumping up and down, her shrieks echoing throughout the schoolyard.
âYou did it! You got in!â
The rest of the girls circle around you, laughing and squealing at your victory. Tears fill your eyes, running down your cheeks in happiness. You had been waiting for the results for weeks after your entrance exam. You walked in with confidence after learning you secured first place in class, skimming by Jaemin with half a point higher.
âCongratulations,â Soeun says. She forgave you concerning the Jaemin incident once Lee Donghyuck began showing an interest in her. Since then, youâve speculated that sheâs even forgotten Jaeminâs name. âI think youâll be one of the first girls to attend college from our town in years!â
Mark approaches your group with his hands stuffed in his pockets, and Sookyung straightens her posture at the sight of him. âHey guys,â he says with a timid smile. âHappy last day of classes.â
âOh Mark, do tell us where Na Jaemin has gone. We must share the news of his so-called rival,â Hyojung teases, and you elbow her playfully.
âYou didnât hear?â
Your merry expressions falter at his somber tone. Sookyung speaks up, voicing the question youâre all dreading to ask.
âHear what?â
âJaeminâs father passed away last night. He was sick for a long time, but was trying to hold on until graduation.â
Your stomach drops at the news. Hyojung immediately glances at you in concern. Soeun and Sookyung gasp, and you realize no one actually knew how ill Jaeminâs father was.
You excuse yourself from the group, dashing to Jaeminâs house as fast as you can. He lives the furthest out of all your classmates, but youâre determined to reach his place before sundown. A nagging voice in the back of your head scolds you for not checking in on him. Another part of you grapples with the idea that heâs been harboring this grief with himself for years.
When you knock on his front door, you panic slightly. What if you were completely crossing a line and he didnât want to see you? What if he was in the middle of his mourning period and you were disrupting his reflection time?
As soon as he opens the door, you blurt out, âIâm sorry.â
Heâs startled when he sees you, but a kind smile spreads across his face. âSo you heard,â he remarks, his eyes baggy and red.
âYeah,â you whisper. âIâm so sorry, Jaemin. I had no idea he was that sick.â
He gestures for you to step inside. His home smells like him, as odd as that sounds coming from you. The scent of pine needles and embers from the fire waft through your nose. His dining room is small, having nothing but a long table and a kitchen with dirty dishes stacked high in the sink. Stacked boxes fill the hallway leading to what you assume used to be his fatherâs bedroom.
He rifles through the fridge while you take a seat at the table. âApologies about the mess. Iâve been trying to sort through dadâs stuff over the past year but it hasnât been easy.â
âItâs fine, you donât need to apologize to me,â you say as he pours you a cup of orange juice.
âSo did you get your results yet? Come on, donât leave me hanging,â he chuckles.
âOh, itâs not that important-â
âNot that important?â He scoffs, sliding into the seat across from you. âYouâve been working for this all year. Of course itâs important. And you finally accomplished your goal of getting to first place.â
All of those end objectives seem insignificant now compared to the problems Jaeminâs been dealing with. But he stares at you like he wants nothing more than to hear about your results, forcing you to reveal, âI got in.â
He slams his hand down on the wood table cheerfully, rejoicing loudly. âThatâs wonderful! I knew you would get in, I never doubted it for a second.â
âJaemin, I really am awfully remorseful over what happened to your father. To think that we are celebrating my achievements while you have been going through this all alone-â
He speaks your name firmly. âI have known for years that my father would one day pass. It is a tragedy, yes, but I know how hard youâve been striving for this and Iâm not going to let it overshadow your moment. Please, for today, can we focus on you? I can mourn my father all I want at his funeral tomorrow.â
You hesitantly agree to his terms and somehow find yourself roped into an ordeal of teaching him how to bake Ilkyungâs famous peach pie. You snigger when he continuously pours too much flour into the bowl and cuts his hand trying to slice the peaches.
âThey say youâre brilliant in the classroom but I guess no oneâs seen you outside of your studies,â you joke, pulling stray flecks of flour out of his hair.
He narrows his eyes at you before throwing a handful of flour at your face, causing you to squeal at his attack. You look at him with your jaw dropped open while he snickers at your predicament. You reach into his bowl of peaches, smushing them in your palm and launching the mess into his shirt.
You giggle. âOops.â
He gapes at you before his kitchen becomes the site of a chaotic food fight. Eggs and butter splatter against the walls and flour coats the kitchen floor. You know Ilkyungâs going to give you a hard time when you return home about the stains in your dress, but youâre feeling so euphoric that you canât be bothered to care.
You find a way to combine your leftover ingredients into a pie, and Jaemin takes it out of the brick oven when itâs nicely browned at the top. He hands you a fork to taste, and when you both dig your utensils in and scoop it into your mouth, your faces twist in horror.
âThatâs awful!â
âWhat in Godâs name did we put in there?â
You take one look at each other, with you seeing his hair covered in flour and specks of eggshells painted on his shirt. He finds you with dripping egg yolk in your hair and dried peaches clinging to the skirt of your dress. You burst out in laughter, clinging to your stomachs as you double over.
âY-You look l-like we put you i-in the oven!â You pant, cheeks hurting from your hysterics.
âMe? You look like you rolled into a bakery on the wrong side of town!â
When your giggling fit dies down, he flings you a pensive expression. âPromise me weâll hang out this summer before we leave. I-I donât want to lose touch with you as soon as we go to college.â
You grin. âI donât want that either. I promise to hang out with you all summer.â
His vision drifts down to your lips, and youâre thrown back to Valentineâs Day, when you almost kissed him. Thereâs nothing stopping you now, and the silence of the house surrounds you.
âJaemin,â you murmur, and his hand snakes around your middle, pulling you to his body as his mouth envelops yours.
Kissing is much more sensual than you originally thought. The books you read describe it as a slow, languid action with enough time to breathe. You discover thatâs not true at all as Jaemin backs you up against the table, lifting your hips onto the wood. He rests his palms on both sides of your legs as his tongue swipes over yours. You moan into his mouth, tangling your fingers through his hair as you let him devour you.
Your conscience screams at you that this is not a good idea, but the longer you feel Jaeminâs hands on you, the longer your common sense is muted.
His fingers hike up your dress, exposing your bare legs for him to view. He kisses down your jawline until his teeth graze your neck.
His hands grip the inside of your thighs as you release a breathy, âWe shouldnât.â
He shushes you gently. âDonât think about anything else. No grades or college or parents. Just you and me.â
You empty your mind per his request, closing your eyes as you savor his hands freely roaming your body. He tugs down your undergarments before unbuckling his own set of trousers. A part of you is terrified by the act of sex, only having seen explicit diagrams in medical journals. But you also trust Jaemin and you understand the boy would never hurt you willingly.
You chew on your lower lip when he unsheathes himself. Youâve never encountered the opposite sexâs naked lower half before, but his cock stands proudly, longer than several inches and thicker than you imagined. His tip is red and leaking, desperately asking for attention. He wraps a hand around his base and lines himself up to your entrance.
âItâs going to hurt,â he warns, analyzing you carefully. âIâve read it doesnât always feel good for women, and I apologize about that.â
You smile shyly. âItâs okay. I trust you.â
Fire blazes underneath your skin as he pushes into you. The pain is excruciating but you clench your jaw and power through it, not wanting to ruin this moment with him. He distracts you with kisses, lips intertwining as he slides into you inch by inch.
When he bottoms out inside you, you swear youâve never felt more full. Itâs powerful â the way he towers over you in this moment yet subtly ensures you that youâre in complete control of the situation. His eyes search yours in assurance, finding nothing but a reflection of lust and hunger.
You hold him close as he thrusts into you, whimpers spilling from your mouth at the sharp spike of pain. âWhat can I do to make it better?â He questions, groaning lowly. âI wish you could feel how I do right now.â
âI-I donât know.â
He tries different angles, scattering love bites across your neck, but it isnât until his hands wander down to your core and circle around an area that has you gasping.
âHere?â He asks, pressing his thumb down harder over your clit. You squeak and nod, the pain shifting into blinding satisfaction.
It's the combined chaos of Jaemin rutting against you while you grind down on his hand, chasing your highs together. The unfamiliar sensation has your head spinning, and the pent up frustration in your stomach begins to unravel.
You whine his name. âI feel- I feel-â
âItâs okay,â he soothes, sensing your panic. âIâm right here, itâs okay.â
You dig your nails into his broad shoulders, yanking him close to you as you gush around his cock. The heightened pleasure leaves you a mewling mess, moaning and whimpering into his ear as you bury your head into his neck. He swiftly pulls out of you, jerking at his length until he spills white over your thighs.
Clarity strikes you. You blink away the aftershocks of your intense orgasm, registering the consequences of your actions. You push him away, startling him as you locate your undergarments.
âWhatâs wrong? What are you doing?â
You shake your head, redressing yourself as tears sting your eyes. âWe shouldnât have done that! Weâre going off to college soon and weâre not even together-â
âThen letâs be together,â he states, frowning as you jump off the table. âI want to be with you, I thought Iâve made myself clear. Youâre the only one for me.â
âJaemin, donât.â
His expression turns sour. âSo what? Youâre going to pretend that this hasnât happened? I love you! Whatâs so wrong about us being together? I was ready to marry you yesterday!â
âStop it,â you wheeze, combing down your hair in an attempt to regain your composure. âJaemin, just stop it. Youâre not supposed to marry me. Youâre supposed to wed a beautiful girl from the city, a well-bred woman with a good head on her shoulders. Iâm supposed to finish my schooling and help Ilkyung and Ilnam with Green Gables. Iâm not destined to become a housewife.â
âNo oneâs asking you to! Do you really think that low of me to believe I would request for you to give up your future to stay at home?â
You rush to the door, wrenching it open and dashing down the steps of his home. He calls after you the entire way but you keep your feet moving, not stopping until youâve run across the town and to Green Gables.
Later, when Ilkyung scolds you for the state of your dress and you rid yourself of the evidence of your passion between your legs, you vow to never accept a proposal from Na Jaemin.
â
âI canât believe youâre married.â
Soeun smirks as she twirls in a circle, the train of her dress eagerly following behind her. âI know!â She remarks in a high-pitched giggle. âOh truly, girls, I hope the rest of you experience this kind of happiness someday. You deserve it.â
Hyojung side eyes you with a look that says, Can you believe she just said that to us?
Donghyuck proposed to Soeun shortly after graduation, and due to his brideâs eagerness and her parents' insistence, they were wed only a month later in her backyard. Soeun was over the moon, corralling the three of you into wedding planning for most of the summer. You assisted with every detail, from the flowers down to the flavor of the cake.
The wedding party also acted as a pseudo farewell gathering for you, as you leave for the girlsâ college in the city the following day. Hyojung was in shambles over it, pleading for you not to bring it up until reality finally strikes her.
âOh look, thereâs Jaemin,â Sookyung murmurs, and the statement has your blood running cold. You all raise your heads to see him across the garden, a cup of tea in his hand as he speaks to Soeunâs cousins. âWhy, I havenât seen him since his fatherâs funeral. He must have been secluding himself since graduation.â
âCan you blame him? You know his father didnât leave him much in his will. Jaemin was probably working all summer to put himself through college,â Soeun says.
You look away in shame while Hyojung eyes you warily. Youâve kept a tight lip regarding the subject of Na Jaemin, leading her to believe something occurred after the end of term. You never confirmed her speculation, mortified by your actions.
Jaemin wrote you a letter everyday since your entanglement, prompting Ilkyung and Ilnam to raise their eyebrows every time they returned from town with a stack of letters. You never replied to him, afraid of encouraging his fantasies of you ending up together.
âI should go,â you state as Jaeminâs consistent presence makes you wary. âIt really was a lovely ceremony, Soeun. I have to help Ilkyung with packing up the rest of my belongings.â
Hyojung begins to tear up at the mention of your departure, and you roll your eyes and pat her back teasingly.
âI will see you tomorrow before I leave,â you laugh, and she grumbles as she wipes away her tears.
You say your goodbyes to the rest of the party, exiting the gardens and locating the shed where theyâve kept the buggys. You find Ilnamâs old horse, giving him a soft pet to his snout and untangling his reins.
Before you can climb in, a voice hollers out, âYou look beautiful.â
You purse your lips. âThank you.â
His front presses against your back and you inhale at the close proximity. He swipes your hair away from your neck, nudging his nose against your skin. You tightly grip the reins in your hands, knowing you should get inside and steer far away from him.
âJaemin,â you say in warning.
His hand draws around your waist, playing with the ribbons of your corset. âIâve dreamt of you every night, thinking about you when my mind gets too greedy. Do you think about me too?â
âI leave for the girlsâ college tomorrow,â you say through gritted teeth, trying hard to contain your desire. âAnd my thoughts havenât changed. We canât be together.â
âI heard Hyojungâs engaged to Lee Jeno. You donât think less of her for wanting to marry, do you?â
âOf course I donât,â you bite back. âBut this is different. You know itâs different.â
âTell me that you think about me too. I need to hear it,â he mumbles as he mouths kisses over your skin.
Your heart beats in your chest rapidly. âI never wanted to make you care for me so. I kept away so you wouldnât.â
He sighs at your stubborn nature. âThe medical schoolâs accepted me for their fall term.â
You spin around at his revelation. Pride flutters in your chest. âOh, Jaemin, thatâs wonderful!â
He rests his forehead against yours, clutching your hands. âIâm sorry for all the letters over the summer. I only wanted to show you how much I care,â he says, his eyes locked in on yours. âMaybe you donât think Iâm good enough for you now, but I will be someday.â
You shake your head. âThatâs not it at all. Youâre a great deal too good for me,â you say, stroking his hair back and relishing the way it runs through your fingers. âYou need a girl whoâd be happy just to hang off your arm, who will build a home for you and dote on you faithfully. I canât be that girl for you.â
âThatâs not what Iâm looking for at all-â
âWe wouldnât be good together. Weâd end up fighting all the time!â You say to convince him, but he doesnât look moved by your spiel. âIâd end up regretting falling in love with you, and youâre not a person I would ever want to regret.â
He stands firmly. âI canât go away knowing that if I had just tried a little harder-â
âI promise Iâll always be here for you,â you say. âGood friends are always together in spirit.â
âYou also promised weâd hang out the entire summer before we went away,â he recalls, taking a step back from you.
âDonât do this, Jaemin.â
He bites down on his tongue like heâs holding back the tears threatening to spill out. âI canât just be your friend. I love you too much to torture myself like this.â
âJaemin, please-â
You choke back your sobs when he strolls out of the shed, refusing to hear your pleas. You climb into your buggy, attempting to pull yourself together as you tug on the reins. You loathe your tearful ride back to Green Gables, and Ilnam watches you approach from his spot in the fields. His lips curl downwards when he helps you out, wiping your tears away.
âIâve done it again and messed it all up,â you tell him, crying into his chest. âOh Ilnam, when will I ever do something right?â
âSweetheart,â he coos, stroking your back in comfort. âAs far as Iâm concerned, youâve never done a single thing wrong since Iâve known you.â
His blatant lie forces a chuckle out of you. Ilkyung steps out of the house, hands on her hips as she examines the situation. âWhat are you two doing?â She questions sternly. âWe have less than twenty-four hours before we need to be on that train.â
Ilnam mutters, âGo inside before she has both of our heads.â Before you depart, he grips your hand passionately. âYouâll still write to us every week?â
You detect the hesitation in his voice and you kiss his cheek in affirmation. âOf course. Iâll write until you grow tired of my stories. My hands will ache from the repetition but it canât stop me from keeping close to you.â
The sides of his mouth wrinkle when he grins at you. As you help Ilkyung in folding your clothes upstairs, you wonder if sheâll miss you as much as Ilnam will. Sheâs always been the tougher one to crack in terms of displaying her emotions, and for the past few days leading up to your departure, sheâs barely said a word to you that hasnât been laced with venom. You suppose itâs her way of coping with change.
âHave you ever been in love?â
Sheâs taken aback by your question. âI hope this isnât regarding the Na boy. My arms still hurt from carrying his letters back home.â
You sit on the corner of your bed. âI used to think love was something you didnât feel until you were older and more mature. In all the stories I read, loving someone so young ends in an unexplainable tragedy. Itâs completely selfish of me, Ilkyung, but I couldnât stand it if he found someone else. I think it would break me, yet at the same time, I know thereâs someone better out there for him. A girl who wonât squabble with him over being called a princess.â
She exhales as she places your dress in your suitcase, walking over and taking a seat next to you. She tucks a strand of your hair behind your ear, smiling softly.
âWhen I was your age, shortly after I also finished my education, I befriended a boy who became my closest confidant. His name was Na Juwon.â
Your head snaps up. âJaeminâs father?â
She nods, her face twisting into a grimace. âYes, thatâs him. We got along very well, and most people even called him my beau,â she says with a nostalgic look in her eyes. âBut we fought, and back then, I wasnât so quick to forgive. Letting him walk away is one of my greatest regrets. I wish I had just pushed aside my headstrong personality for one second to see the bigger picture. We ended up losing touch and he fell in love with someone else.â
âYou never told me that,â you say. âI-I didnât know you were so close with Jaeminâs father.â
She takes your hands in hers, squeezing them tightly. âSome advice for you, child â a letter can go a long way when youâre separated for that long. He may be cross with you and you may be stuck on your ideals now, but youâll both learn that a love like yours isnât easy to find.â
âThank you, Ilkyung.â
She kisses your forehead. âNow letâs finish your packing. I canât believe my girl is heading to college tomorrow.â
â
September 12th
Jaemin,
Is it safe to assume the girls at this college dream of me making a complete fool out of myself? I hardly think they have to dream for long considering Iâm doing such a great job of it on my own. For women so properly educated and professional, I never imagined most of them havenât ever picked up a romance novel. I spent the first twenty minutes of my class babbling about the forlorn monologue of the reader and how it translates to her unrequited love before I realized no one agreed with me.
I know we left on bad terms, but I can only hope this letter arrives to you safely. A response is not required, yet Iâm obliged to tell you I miss the sound of your voice.
October 22nd
Jaemin,
Iâve been writing again recently. A habit I disregarded briefly to focus on my studies, but as Iâm certain youâre well aware, my imagination urges me to capture my visions on paper. Itâs nothing fancy, simply romance tales Iâve been daydreaming about. I honestly donât believe anyone could understand them except for you and Hyojung. Have you heard yet that she and Lee Jeno are to be wed next month? I never thought when they met on Valentineâs Day that their betrothal would come so quickly. She told me she sent you an invitation, but I know youâre probably too busy in medical school to attend.
Do write back to me if you get the chance. I would love to hear how youâve been.
December 2nd
Jaemin,
Ilkyung told me you won the scholarship for your spring term. I offer my best congratulations to you. I canât think of anyone more deserving of the award. My hats off to you since I already know you worked so hard for it. I plan on returning to Green Gables for the holidays. Ilnam has taken up a fever and Ilkyungâs growing worried about his health. Iâm not sure if Iâll return for my spring term if heâs not well.
I tried submitting my writing to be published in the local town newspaper, but was swiftly rejected due to my stories containing too many embellishments and not enough relation to the character. I think itâs a sign that my writing is not destined beyond Green Gables.
Will you be coming home for the holidays too?
February 25th
I apologize for my late reply. Thank you for your continuous letters. My studies have kept me preoccupied as of late, but I know itâs a horrid excuse for my absence.
I was sorry to hear of Ilnamâs passing during the holidays. I tried to make it out to Green Gables to see you but the trains were blocked here due to the heavy snow. Iâm wishing you and Ilkyung all the best.
As for your writing, Iâve always thought you were a spectacular writer. Youâre correct in assuming I would most likely be one of the only ones who could understand your romance folly. I think you should write about Green Gables. Your story deserves to be heard by many around the world.
Iâm also writing to inform you of my engagement. Itâs sudden, I know, and I want to apologize for my foolish behavior last summer. You were right about us, and I see it now.
Regardless, I miss you always, princess.
â
âDonât lift that, Ilkyung, itâs too heavy. Let me help you.â
You take the box of milk bottles from her hands, setting them on the dining room table. Ilkyung sighs, resting on a nearby chair and pinching the bridge of her nose. She wipes away the dust coating her eyelashes with the back of her hand.
âYou have to take it easy, you heard what the doctor said,â you say sternly, narrowing your eyes at her. âItâs why we hired Jisung to help. Youâre supposed to call for him if you need anything.â
She waves you off. âIâll call him when Iâm dead.â
âThatâs not funny, stop it,â you reply, holding back the onslaught of tears that spring up.
She hears the quiver in your voice and exhales, standing up and teetering over to you. She wraps her arms around you, and you lay your head on her shoulder.
âIâm sorry, youâre right. Iâve become very insensitive to your feelings. I know itâs been difficult for you without Ilnam here,â she murmurs, stroking your hair gently. âHe would be very proud of you.â
The front door creaks open and Jisungâs head pops in, grimacing when he observes your fragile state.
âSorry, sorry. I didnât mean to intrude.â
âItâs okay,â you dismiss, wiping away your tears. âCome in please. Ilkyung needs help with taking the milk bottles to town.â
Jisung obediently follows your directions, grabbing the heavy boxes and loading them into the buggy outside. You hired him shortly after Ilnamâs passing when you registered that Ilkyungâs health was also deteriorating rapidly. She got constant migraines that impaired her vision, forcing her into bed for most of the day. With Ilnam gone and no one to care for Green Gables, she considered selling the house before you decided to move back. She protested, of course, and you fought for weeks until she relented.
She despised the fact that you dropped your studies but you were not going to allow your first home to be auctioned off like careless livestock. You took a teaching job in the city that provided you enough time to care for Ilkyung accordingly. It also offered you enough time to start writing again. During this go around, fueled by no longer having Ilnamâs presence around, you write about Green Gables like Jaemin suggested.
âŠAnd Na Jaemin. You donât even want to begin to think about the headaches heâs caused you.
Once Jisung departs for town, you begin making supper and instruct Ilkyung to lie down. A knock on the door interrupts your cooking and youâre surprised to see your heavily pregnant best friend behind the door.
âHyojung!â You scold, helping her inside. âYouâre supposed to be resting. The babyâs due any second now.â
She scoffs at you. âHe expects me to be a sitting duck at home and I canât stand it! I need to get out and talk to another human that isnât my husband.â You help her rest by the fire to keep warm, fetching her a cup of tea. She chews on her lower lip carefully before blurting out, âSoeun saw Na Jaemin walking around with his fiancĂ©e in town.â
You pause your slicing of vegetables, raising your head to look at her. She smiles sadly at you.
âThatâs- um, thatâs wonderful. Iâm happy for him,â you say, swallowing your nerves.
âYou never told me what occurred between you and him. Every time someone utters anything related to his engagement, you clam up and refuse to speak. From what I recall, the last time we spoke you were letting your petty grudge go and finally starting to be friends with him.â
You sigh, throwing the handful of vegetables into the pot on the stove and stirring carefully. âI have forgiven him, Hyojung. That childish banter is in the past.â
âThen what is it? What has you so on edge around him?â
A flash of breathy whines and heavy groans plays across your mind, along with the heat of Jaeminâs touch and his mouth on your skin.
âItâs nothing. Please, Hyojung, just drop it.â
She lets the subject go for the rest of the night, not owning the same willingness to fight you as she once had due to her pregnancy. She stays for dinner, and Ilkyung walks downstairs to greet her briefly before the lighted candles in the kitchen grow to be too much for her migraine. After eating, you escort Hyojung back home, where Jeno is pacing in worry over his wife.
âChrist, Hyojung. You canât walk out like that and not inform anyone about your whereabouts,â he says, helping her walk up the steps of the staircase. He smiles politely back at you. âForgive my crass language.â
You shake your head, waving him off. âNo worries. I wanted to see that she made it home safely. I hope you two have a lovely night.â
âSheâs going to have a lovely night dreaming about Jaemin!â Hyojung calls when sheâs already up the stairs, and Jeno throws you another apologetic look.
You leave the couple to their own devices after rejecting Jenoâs suggestion to stay the night in their guest room. You trudge back to Green Gables, wrapping your arms around yourself as the wind nips at your cheeks. Your mind drifts to Jaemin the entire way, much like itâs been doing since you returned home.
When you received that letter from him in February, in the midst of still grieving over Ilnam, it felt as if he punched you in the gut. You werenât so shocked to learn he was engaged to someone else, knowing he was making himself a fine catch in medical school and the girls nearby had to be swooning over him. Regardless, the revelation stung. It reminded you of Ilkyungâs story, where she lost Jaeminâs father due to her own stubborn nature.
You contemplated if you were repeating history. If perhaps you and Jaemin are destined to be together, yet the only thing preventing it from coming true is you.
A rough hand tugs on your shoulder and you gasp, spinning around to face the assailant.
Jaemin holds his hands up to profess his innocence. âSorry. I was calling your name but wasnât sure if you could hear me.â
âJ-Jaemin?â
He chuckles at your astonishment. âHi,â he says awkwardly, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his coat. âWe came into town yesterday and I wanted to come see you. Ilkyung said you were walking Hyojung home.â
You blink in rapid succession, still trying to register that heâs actually in front of you and not a figment of your imagination. You pinch your upper arm just to double check.
âY-Yes,â you stammer, unable to form coherent sentences. âSheâs pregnant, you know? About to pop actually. Jenoâs been like a hawk watching her but you know how Hyojung can be. I mean, I guess you two arenât really that close but-â
âAre you okay?â He asks, examining you with concern over your verbal incompetence.
You laugh clumsily. âYes! I apologize, I must be tired. Itâs been a gruesome day.â
âI wonât keep you long then. I heard that you stopped attending college to restore Green Gables?â
You nod in affirmation. âI felt it was only right to, especially after Ilnam left us. Jisung has been a great addition, heâs our new farmhand.â
âI want to help finance you.â
âW-What?â
âIâve been earning my keep with a local doctor while pursuing my studies. Heâs been paying for me to shadow him, provided if I assist him where needed. I want to give the money to you so you donât give up on your dreams.â
You purse your lips, ramming against his shoulder as you begin walking away. âAbsolutely not, Na Jaemin.â
He follows after you. âDonât act this way, please. I want to help you! You canât give up on college, youâve worked too hard for it.â
âNayoung has already offered and I have refused. Besides, what would your fiancĂ©e think? Using your hard earned money on a girl you barely know.â
âYoojung would understand,â he reasons, and you visibly recoil at her name. âAnd how can you say that? Of course I know you.â
âDo you?â You scoff. âMy unanswered letters say otherwise.â
âI apologized for that already. Please, let me take care of you.â
You spin around, digging your finger into his chest. Your eyes blaze with fury, and he flinches at the sight. âYou have no right to take care of me. I have never needed your help, and I certainly wonât be requesting it now. So run back to your fiancĂ©e and spend your money on your wedding, like a true gentleman would.â
His hand wraps around your upper arm, holding you in place. âHave your feelings changed since the summer?â
He has that optimistic look in his eye, the same one from the night he took you on his dining table. You squash it immediately, enraged by his carelessness for a fiancĂ©e youâve never met.
âNo. And youâre a fool for thinking they have.â
You hike up your dress and stomp away from him, ignoring his cry of, âYou canât throw away your dreams! I wonât let you!â
â
âI could stare at his crying face for hours and he would still be the most adorable baby Iâve ever seen.â
Hyojung laughs at you. âYou wouldnât be saying that if you had to hear him wailing relentlessly.â
She lays on top of her shared bed with Jeno as he presses a cloth to her forehead to wipe off the remaining beads of sweat. Chaeyoung had dashed to Green Gables as soon as Hyojungâs water broke, startling both you and Ilkyung as she screamed at the top of her lungs that the baby was coming. The nearest midwife in town rushed at the news after Mrs. Noh pounded on her door furiously.
The newest baby Lee arrived safely into the world, surrounded by a love you could only dream of having. Half of the women in town gathered at the Noh doorstep to offer baked goods and words of comfort to the new mother. Overwhelmed by the influx of support, she only allowed you inside the room, and you held her hand the entire way of delivery.
You shush the sweet child in your arms, whispering softly to him about how youâre going to cherish him forever. Jeno leaves briefly to handle the incoming guests downstairs, and Hyojung stares at you.
âHow come Iâm the one whoâs just given birth yet you look like the most disastrous one here?â
You sigh, knowing she can see the huge bags underneath your eyes, which are slightly red from the crying. You had been relaying your conversation with Jaemin in your head all night, scolding yourself for once again treating him so poorly. You still stand firm on your decision to not take any of his money, yet the heartbroken look on his face after you rejected him lingers.
âI just couldnât sleep, thatâs all.â
âMrs. Park, could you please give us a minute?â Hyojung asks, and the midwife in the room nods patiently, exiting and shutting the door behind her. Hyojung glares at you. âGive me my baby and start explaining.â
You stride over to her, handing her the small bundle of joy. You take a seat on the chair next to her bed, twiddling your thumbs nervously.
âI ran into Jaemin on my way home.â
Her head snaps up, eyes widening. âAnd?â
ââŠSomething happened between us last summer.â
âI knew it!â She whisper-shouts, being mindful of the sensitive ears of her new son. âGosh, I knew you had been keeping it a secret. You acted as if he brought on the plague whenever Soeun mentioned him. What happened?â
You chew on your lower lip. âEverything.â
Jeno strolls back in, giddy as he carries a basket of fresh bread. His smile falters when his wife scowls at him.
âJen, I love you more than anything and Iâm so thankful we brought this child into this world, but I need you to leave us for at least ten minutes. And guard the door so we arenât disturbed by anyone else.â
Your best friendâs husband gapes at the instruction, but darts his eyes between a heartbroken you and his determined wife. He awkwardly leaves the room.
Hyojung surveys you with the quirk of her eyebrow. You disclose it all to her, from the night in his kitchen to his proclamations of love in the summer. She listens to you with an open jaw, in pure disbelief by your connection with him.
âIâm not going to take his money, Hyojung. I canât. For heavenâs sake, can you imagine what his fiancĂ©e would think? It astounds me that he didnât even consider her feelings regarding the matter. If I didnât accept any type of financial compensation from Nayoung, heâs a dunce for believing I would take it from a struggling medical student.â
She grins at you. âYou love him.â
You frown. âIs that truly all you heard from that story?â
âYou love him and youâre hurting yourself by not confessing it to him. Whatâs preventing you from finally seeking your true love? You read about love, you write about love, and you dream about being loved. Yet, when itâs served in front of you on a silver platter, you run from it. How is that going to solve anything long term?â
You shake your head. âHe has a fiancĂ©e. Iâm not going to become the woman in the story that intrudes on the heroineâs happy ever after. Why, Iâd be no better than the poem where the town watched as the beautiful woman succumbed to her sorrow for her unrequited love. How could I allow myself to become that person, Hyojung?â
âHe wouldnât have offered to pay for your schooling if he didnât still care for you. Even if he has betrothed himself to another, his heart calls for you. And only you.â
The sharp cry of her newborn has her exhaling, and Jeno enters the room hesitantly. Hyojung nods at him and the man circles the bed, taking the babbling child from her arms. You decide to offer them a few minutes of privacy, brushing off the heated stare Hyojung throws at you that indicates this conversation is far from finished.
She spends the rest of her evening thanking her guests for stopping by. It provides you enough time to slip out unnoticed, even by Ilkyung, who chats with a few other women in the kitchen. You pass the Lake of Shining Waters as you find your way back to Green Gables. You settle into bed but sleep doesnât find you so easily.
You toss and turn as memories of Jaemin swirl in your head, refusing to quiet its intensity. The sudden flash of a dining table has you squeezing your thighs from arousal, leaving you ashamed of fantasizing about a taken man. You swallow down the feeling as your hand snakes down your lower half, slowly brushing over your throbbing core.
You shut your eyes and dig your teeth into your pillowcase, grinding your hips downwards as you think about the ridge of Jaeminâs cock stretching you out. You gasp silently as you replay his grunts in your ear, breathless from the way he takes you so roughly, like you belong to him. You feel him peppering kisses down your neck, cooing softly in your ear and encouraging you to welcome the pleasure.
You clench down around nothing as you heave, whimpering to yourself in the empty room. You blink heavily as you maneuver through your lust-filled haze, empowering the mortification to seep through.
You shove aside the guilt to provide space for your drowsiness, your mind abruptly settled after entertaining the delusions of Jaeminâs love.
Over the following months, Hyojung doesnât get another chance to interrogate you. Sheâs caught in a whirlwind of caring for her child, who hasnât adjusted to a normal sleeping schedule. Jeno and her are constantly invited to new events held by other mothers in town, desperate to make connections and expand their club to the new generation.
Youâre thankful for the reprieve, slightly regretting informing Hyojung of the whole ordeal in the first place. You spend your time caring for Ilkyung and assisting Jisung out in the fields. You fret over her declining health, begging the heavens above to grant your family a break from the stress. You often find yourself sitting in the living room late at night, speaking gently to pictures of Ilnam and hoping he can somehow hear you.
âIlkyung tells me sheâs fine but her migraines are getting worse,â you murmur to the framed photo in front of you, stroking its ends and staring at the solemn gaze of your father. âI donât know how to discipline her. She wonât relent, you know how she is. I canât lose her too. I wish you were here to yell at her. She would have called you ridiculous but I know she wouldâve listened to you.â
You pause, checking the kitchen to ensure Ilkyungâs not lurking nearby. âYou were right about Na Jaemin. I care for him more than anyone else, and heâs a good man. I deluded myself into thinking my feelings could easily vanish, but I know now that isnât the case. Itâs far too late to admit my wrongdoings, for heâs engaged and last I heard, thriving in school. Heâll graduate in the spring and itâs definite heâll be a married man by then. Iâve accepted my fate to resign as a single woman. Itâll do me some good to look after Green Gables, and Iâm almost finished writing my book about the town. Iâm not sure itâll get published, but I must say I believe it to be the best piece Iâve written to date. I wish you here to read it.â
You sniffle, wiping away the stray tears that have fallen. You set the frame back on the table, picking up the candle lighting the room and heading towards the staircase to go to bed.
A knock on the door interrupts you. Youâre surprised to see Jisung standing on the other side, smiling awkwardly.
âJisung? What are you doing here? Itâs nearly midnight.â
âSorry,â he mumbles with a blush painted on his cheeks. You learned over time that the boy tends to grow embarrassed quickly. âI was in town and the postmaster said youâve been receiving urgent letters. He didnât know who else to give them to.â
You take the pile from his hands before reprimanding him for staying out so late. He runs home with flushed cheeks while you fan out the letters across the dining table, the candlelight illuminating the ink splattered across the front.
You furrow your eyebrows when you realize most of them are addressed from the girlsâ college. Multiple envelopes spanning over different dates. With Ilkyungâs illness boarding in full force, you havenât had enough time to swing by town and grab the mail.
You open the latest one first, sent only a week ago.
This is the third notice to the Seo household regarding the spring term. Payment has been received and a spot has been reserved. Please reply at your earliest convenience with confirmation of attendance.
Your blood runs cold. You rip open the other letters, each detailing a similar notice for you to arrive at the girlsâ college for the spring term, which begins in less than three weeks.
The last envelope, however, is smaller than the others and you recognize the familiar handwriting. You shakily pry the seal off, already guessing what lies underneath.
Donât be upset. A nurse is set to arrive to care for Ilkyung the week before you leave. Iâm not letting you give up.
You crinkle the paper in your palm, laying your hands on your forehead as you take a deep breath.
Why, oh why, did Na Jaemin have to fall in love with you?
â
âAlright, ladies, please pair off and discuss the latest chapter. Weâll regroup before the end of the hour.â
Doyeon turns to you, a grin stretching across her lips. You already know what she plans to ask, letting her wrap an arm around your wrist and race to the back of the room.
As you set your books down and sit far away from the teacher, she continues where she left off before class began. âAnd then he asked if he could court me officially. I wasnât exactly in a position to say no.â
âWeâre supposed to be discussing the latest chapter,â you remind her. âI, for one, think the hero was far too arrogant to be flaunting his wealth in front of the local commoners.â
She glares at you. âThe fact that you still do the reading astounds me.â
âI have people counting on me.â
The three weeks after discovering Jaeminâs secret plot were filled with heated arguments with everyone involved in your life. Ilkyung and Hyojung were pleading for you to take the opportunity and go, insisting the only way you could fulfill your dream of writing was to finish your education. You refused to spend Jaeminâs hard earned money, but the fare for the train ride you needed to get to his medical school to confront him cost too much. You wrote him many strongly worded letters that never received a reply.
It wasnât until the live-in nurse arrived to care for Ilkyung that you realized you didnât have much of a choice. Jaemin had already paid her wages for the entire year.
Nayoung even traveled down to knock some sense into you, lecturing you about the need for more female academics. She threatened to write a check that tripled the amount of Jaeminâs if you were really so bothered by him being the sender.
You returned to the girlsâ college and resumed your studies at the start of the spring term. You devoted twice as much time as you did in your first term, worrying that Jaeminâs efforts would turn out to be futile. You received the top marks in every class, and a part of you yearned to have a smiley boy sitting next to you, fueling your need for competition.
You finished writing your book about Green Gables after spring had come and gone. You spent weeks speaking to multiple publishers in town, shocked by the popularity of your work and their eagerness to disperse it. By the time classes resumed, you were nearly done finalizing the contract to officially publish your book.
On the other hand, your roommate, Doyeon, had only been sent to college because her parents believed it would market her as a better match for potential suitors. She cared very little about her work, but she became a great friend to you when you needed someone to loosen you up.
âThe girls are heading to this parlor after class,â she giggles. âYou have to come.â
âI have to finish my essay after class.â
âCome on,â she whines, tugging on your arm. âJust this once. Indulge me!â
She drags you into town that afternoon, pulling you into a circle of girls chatting in the middle of a tea parlor. All of them are dressed in colorful gowns with puffy sleeves, wearing hats with obnoxious feathers decorated on the top. You awkwardly attempt to cover your brown ensemble, with sleeves not as puffy as theirs and no hat in sight. You recognize a few of their faces from your classes but some are unfamiliar to you.
Doyeon sits you down and forces you to make conversation with those around you.
âIt was simply tragic,â a girl murmurs from beside you, her hand delicately balancing the saucer under her teacup. âI mean, I felt bad for him but I was not about to become a widowed girl before I turned twenty years of age. Can you imagine the pressure I was under?â
âYouâre so brave,â another girl replies, the feather in her hat blocking the view of her right eye. âHe was perfect on paper for you.â
âGirls,â Doyeon interrupts cheerfully. The circle turns their attention to her. âI finally convinced my roommate to join us.â
One of them gasps. âSo this is her! The esteemed author!â
You stare at your roommate, dismayed by her lack of filter. She smiles sheepishly at you.
âThat was meant to be a secret,â you say, laughing shyly. âThe book hasnât exactly been published yet.â
âOh, but it will be soon, wonât it?â Another person pipes up, eyes sparkling. âCan you believe this, girls? Weâll actually know someone famous.â
You shake your head nervously, bashful at the sudden attention. The girl next to you nudges your side.
âWhat was your name again?â
When you provide your answer, the group falls into a sudden hush. The girl next to you stiffens completely, her fingers nearly breaking her porcelain teacup. Doyeon is just as confused as you. âWhatâs happened?â
âYouâre her,â the girl beside you whispers. âYouâre the girl.â
Your bewilderment only grows tenfold when she stands and sneers down at you. âWhatâs it like to receive a free education?â
âW-What?â You stutter, taken aback. You havenât told anybody about your ordeal with Jaemin or the real reason why youâre attending college. How is it possible that this stranger knows your circumstances?
She scoffs in disbelief at you. âDo you know how much pain youâve caused me? How much heartache youâve brought to my family?â At your continued hesitation, she snaps. âDoes the name Choi Yoojung mean anything to you? Or how about Na Jaemin?â
The puzzle pieces click together. The woman in front of you is Jaeminâs fiancĂ©e â the beautiful girl who he fell in love with after you broke his heart. You had assumed they married months ago, but by the way venom drips from her voice when speaking his name, you guess it didnât go as planned.
âYoojung,â a girl speaks gently, trying to calm her down when she identifies the fear flash across your face.
She doesnât relent. âCongratulations to you. Heâs driven himself to death in his mission to take care of you. Now neither of us can have him.â
A chill rushes down your spine. You stand, staring at her as your demeanor switches into something more serious. âWhat are you talking about?â
She snorts. âYou didnât even bother to check on him, did you?â
âI write to him every week,â you retort, curling your lip. âHe never responds.â
âBecause heâs working! Heâs always working. He never stopped because you needed the money,â she snarls. âHe only quit when he contracted typhoid fever last month and returned home. I imagine heâs been dead for weeks already.â
You swear your heart stops beating. Doyeon grasps your hand in concern but you shrug her off. You struggle to control your breathing, panicking at the thought of Jaemin slaving himself away at the hospital just so you could go out for tea on a midday afternoon. Doyeon places her hands on your shoulders, troubled by your anxiety.
âYoojung, back off,â she warns.
The girl listens, gathering her things and storming out of the parlor. The other women follow in pursuit, leaving only you and Doyeon.
âI have to go home,â you say, feeling as if your heart has plummeted three stories down. âI-I have to see him.â
She has no idea who youâre referring to, probably lost for most of your conversation with Yoojung. Regardless, she nods and helps you to the door, rubbing your back soothingly. You pack your belongings in record time, locating the money you have as an advance from the publishing company for a train ticket home. Doyeon calls for her buggy and gives you a ride to the station, and you kiss her cheek and thank her for her assistance.
You spend the entire journey exhausting yourself with images of a sickly Jaemin, but you force your thoughts not to stray to the notion of his death. Once you offboard, dread sinks in when you register that you have no ride back, not giving Hyojung an indication that you would need a buggy at the station.
The universe seems to save you when you spot Soeun and Donghyuck carrying their newborn through the train platform.
You call her name desperately, and she spins around to face you. Her expression lights up. âOh! I didnât know you were back in town-â
âIs it true? About Jaemin?â
Her face falls and she glances at her husband with apprehension. You repeat her name, glaring at her with one of the strongest looks you can muster.
She caves in. âHyojung told me not to say anything, I swear! We didnât know how bad it had gotten until a week ago.â
âIs he alive?â You ask, your heart thumping furiously in your chest in anticipation of the answer.
ââŠYes. But Iâm not supposed to tell you-â
âTake me to him.â
Soeun and Donghyuck allow you to squeeze into their buggy, making the expedition to Jaeminâs home and dropping you off. She gives you a pitiful look, kissing your cheeks gently in farewell.
You take a deep breath as you walk up the steps, knocking on the door. The house has perished quite a bit over the years, with grass growing out of the floorboards of the porch and the paint slowly peeling. When the door opens, however, it still smells exactly like Jaemin.
An older man stares back at you, eyebrows furrowed. âMay I help you, madam?â
âNa Jaemin. Iâm here to see Na Jaemin,â you say, breathless and choking back tears.
He smiles. âAh, youâre her. Iâve been waiting for someone to inform you. He wouldnât let me.â He ushers you inside, helping you place your luggage aside. He outstretches his arm to take the book in your hands but you clutch it tighter to your chest. âIâm Dr. Lee, Iâve been Jaeminâs mentor since he began his schooling. I put a pause on my practice to nurse him back to health.â
You sniffle, disregarding your manners out of impatience. âIs he here?â
He smiles softly in understanding, gesturing his head towards the back of the house. âHeâs in his fatherâs room.â
You swallow as you walk down the hallway, the flickering candlelight illuminating the dusty room. You inhale sharply when you see Jaemin splayed out on the bed, face completely drained of color. Heâs tucked completely in the blankets of his fatherâs tiny bed, barely big enough to fit him. You rush to his side, gripping his hand tightly in yours.
He blinks lethargically at you before mumbling, âPrincess?â
You wipe your tears away. âYouâre an idiot. The most reckless person I know.â
A smile spreads across his chapped lips. âIâve missed you.â
You quell the urge inside you that begs to argue with him, to scold him for not taking care of himself and putting his life at risk. But you donât want to waste your precious moments with him by fighting, so you show him the book in your arms instead.
âI finished writing about Green Gables, just as you said I should,â you mumble through blurry vision. âIâll be a published author soon. I dedicated the inscription to Ilkyung and to Ilnam and⊠to you.â You open the first page of the book, unveiling his name. You choke out, âI was planning on sending it to you as a wedding gift.â
âThereâs something you should know,â he croaks. âAbout me and Yoojung.â
You shake your head, swiping back the hair matted to his forehead. âI already know,â you say. âW-We had an unfortunate run in.â
âYou understand now then. You understand that thereâs never been anyone for me but you.â
You shut your eyes tightly, bending down and pressing your forehead against his cheek. You rest your hand over his chest and feel the way it rises and falls. âYou have to get better,â you say sternly. âYou have to get better so I can tell you how I really feel.â
You make a home out of Jaeminâs room for the next few weeks. Dr. Lee and you take turns watching over him, and he locates a spare cot in the storage closet for you to sleep on. You set it up right next to Jaeminâs bed, holding his hand as you doze off. You feed him and read him stories, although his number one request has been to hear your book.
Dr. Lee recounts his memories with Jaemin, and how heâs never met a student more hardworking. He reveals that Jaemin always spoke about you, referring to you as the smartest girl heâs ever known.
By week four, Jaemin regains the color in his cheeks and is able to sit up in bed on his own. Youâre attempting to spoon a hearty soup into his mouth but heâs making it into an impossible task.
âYou said you would tell me how you feel if I got better,â he whines. His hands snake around your waist, pulling you closer to him as you gasp, trying not to spill the piping hot bowl on him. âI kept up my end of the bargain.â
âJaemin,â you huff, scooting back before youâre sitting on his lap. âYouâre still not back to complete health. Can you please finish your dinner?â
A knock echoes on the door, and you turn to see Dr. Lee smiling at you both. Heâs carrying a suitcase in his hand and has a coat draped over his frame. âWell, itâs been a joy to help my young prodigy, but I really must return to my practice.â
Your eyes widen. âYouâre leaving?â
He chuckles at your reaction. âHe hasnât shown any symptoms for three days, which leads me to believe the worst of it is over. All he has to do now is get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids. And luckily, he has a beautiful nurse here to help him.â
Jaemin beams, grinning while you look away in embarrassment. âThank you, Mr. Lee. I owe you a great deal.â
âNonsense,â the doctor brushes off. âConsidering you fell ill on my watch, I would declare I owed this to you.â You walk him to the front door, thanking him for watching over Jaemin. He winks at you before he climbs into his buggy. âYouâll take even better care of him, Iâm certain.â
You observe as he rides away, waving his hat in the air as a salute to you. You smile before returning inside, gasping when you see Jaemin leaning on the dining table.
âWhat are you doing out of bed? You canât be strolling around the place just yet-â
Youâre effectively silenced when he boxes you in, his lips descending over yours. You crumple up the fabric of his sweater in your palm, relishing the way he runs his tongue over your bottom lip.
Your nagging continues as he peppers kisses down your jaw. âYou really should not be out of bed right now. You need to save your strength and energy for recovery.â
You whimper when his fingers sneak underneath your dress, stroking your clothed core. He props you up against the table, and youâre suddenly thrown back in time.
âJ-Jaemin, we shouldnât-â
âUnless you plan on confessing your feelings for me, I would rather not hear another peep out of you,â he says, swallowing you with his frame. âIâll make exceptions, of course. Like this.â
His fingers press harder against your folds and you whine, arching into him. Itâs not long before your undergarments are discarded on the floor. You havenât been intimate with someone since Jaemin, causing goosebumps to rise over your skin when his digits brush over your entrance.
âTell me,â he grunts lowly in your ear. âTell me how you feel. I need to know.â
Two fingers slide in easily, and you immediately clench down on him, your mind swirling in exhilaration. He pulls back to watch your reaction, smirking when he sees your jaw dropped open. He leans forward to capture your lips in his again.
âTell me,â he whispers in between his tongue exploring your mouth.
He curls his digits, rubbing against your walls perfectly. Youâre ashamed to hear the sound of your slick filling the room. His other hand works at untying your corset, loosening your dress just enough to expose your breasts for his viewing.
âJaemin,â you exhale when he takes the hardened bud of your nipple into his mouth, sucking gently. You grind down onto his hand as the pleasure begins to strike in full force. The combination of his fingers caressing you and his tongue flicking over your stiff peaks is enough to drive you to the edge, mewling loudly as you soak his digits in your arousal. You pant as you confess, âI love you.â
His head snaps up, grinning wider than ever. You squeak when he launches himself at you, spreading your back across the wood of the dining table. You giggle as he attacks you with an onslaught of kisses.
âSay it again,â he says, quickly pulling his length out of his trousers.
When he thrusts inside you, a moan falls freely from your lips, accompanied by another âI love you.â
Itâs swift and desperate, the way he harshly ruts into you as you sing sweet noises for him, praising him while his cock abuses your pussy. Youâve never wanted anyone the way you crave him, keeping him as close as possible in fear of him leaving you. He assures you with the skin of his teeth, grazing your neck as he marks you as his.
When he spills inside you, you swear youâve never been this happy before. He doesnât retract from you, burying his head into your shoulder as he wraps himself in your scent.
âIâll make you a promise,â he murmurs. You tangle your hand through his hair, scratching his scalp affectionately. âIâll let Nayoung pay for your schooling and I promise not to work myself to death at the hospital. But after graduation, we take our vows and move back to Green Gables. We start a new life with each other.â
You laugh, giddy over the thought. Just last year, you were convinced you would retire as a lonely spinster, reminiscing over your lost love. Yet now he lays on top of you, fulfilling your dream of forever in a great big home.
You nod. âThat sounds beautiful.â
â
A scream erupts throughout the house and you pinch the bridge of your nose in exasperation. Hyojung sits next to you in her rocking chair, chortling with glee at your misery.
Ilkyung strides by, carefully balancing herself with her cane. âIâll take care of it.â
âThank you,â you call after her, watching as she corrals your two toddlers in the kitchen.
âFive children is just too much,â Hyojung remarks with the click of her tongue. âHow could you let Jaemin talk you into another one?â
You stare down at your growing belly, resting your hand over your bump. âHeâs very convincing.â
Your husband barrels through the front door with your six-year-old son attached to his back while your eight-year-old daughter curls around his leg. Heâs laughing, pretending to make them fly as your two other toddlers rush over to him, eager to join the scene.
You married Jaemin shortly after graduation, sealing your vows next to the Lake of Shining Waters. Ilkyung was delighted when you chose to move into Green Gables as Jaemin landed a position as the townâs new doctor and your second book was about to be published. You finished the girlsâ college with high marks, securing a teaching spot at the best college in the area.
You lived in pure bliss. You kept the nurse who looked after Ilkyung in your absence, and she eventually became a helping hand to your rowdy family. Jisung still assisted you and Jaemin with maintaining the farm, even stepping out of his comfort zone every now and then to chase your children around the yard.
You thank the universe everyday for granting you a second chance at happiness. Jaemin constantly dotes on you, fretting over your every need. Heâs a perfect father, never losing his temper with the children and cooing at them in soft voices. Itâs perhaps why youâre so inclined to keep giving him more.
He staggers over to you after he manages to pry your rambunctious children off his body, leaning down to press a kiss to your lips.
âAre you two enjoying yourselves?â
Hyojung smiles. âWe would be if your wifeâs feet werenât swelling enormously, Dr. Na,â she says with a teasing tone. âYou should rub her feet to make her feel better.â
Heâs quick to follow orders, sitting on the carpet and getting to work.
âAnything for my princess.â
You throw Hyojung a look. âNow youâre just misusing our power.â
You glance over at your children, who are flocking towards their grandmother and asking her for a snack. Then you look at your beaming husband and your mischievous best friend, the true kindred spirits of your heart. And itâs all topped by the puffiest sleeves a girlâs ever owned, sitting proudly on your arms.
Your dream of having a home to call yours has finally come true.
this fic was posted for early access to the $5 tier on my patreon, which you can access here!
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