Chapter 04

“ Why are we all the way out here… in the mountains??? Are you taking part in some weird cult ceremony that requires flowers and you in a stupid costume?... If so I’m going to leave!!!” Jae Joong complained as he began to struggle with juggling all the flowers and having to climb up the mountain side.

“ You really are a fool if you think that why Little… heheh I mean Jae Joong oppa. We are almost there come on.. there is still much more for us to do…” Sunflower Girl said as she smiled at Jae Joong, grabbing his hand helping him up.

Jae Joong looked at her exhausted, “What more?!?! I only agreed to help you bring the flowers here… “

“Please… If you decided to help then you should help all the way through… But if you want to leave after you drop off the flowers… its fine .. “ she let go of his hand and put her head down, but even before she could take a step further Jae Joong grabbed her hand, “ I don’t know where you’re taking me so don’t think about leaving me behind. Since I’m already here.. I might as well help you do what ever else you’re doing… it’s almost dark.. I can’t just go home and leave you up here by yourself… you know you are still a girl…even though you don’t act like it”

“You are soo sweet Jae Joong oppa” Sunflower Girl smiled lightly as two held hands and continued to walk forward. She turned away and slyly whispered underneath her breath, “ Heheheh yes!! He fell for it. Babo hhehehee”

“What did you say… hey … do you hear me..?”
“Oh… hahaha nothing I was just saying to myself that I should find a way to thank Jae Joong oppa for helping me….”

“Well you can start by telling me your name…”

“Oh…heheh I forgot… “

“What??? You forgot your own name? How can you forget your own name… I think I should be calling you Babo instead.. of Sunflower Girl..”

“No I didn’t forget my name!!! I forgot that I promised I would tell you my name… It’s” but before she could say it 3 little kids and a man on crutches came to greet them.

“Noona!!! You got them !!!! Let us help you!!” the three little boys said in unison as they ran up to Sunflower Girl. One grabbed the flowers that she was holding while the other two went towards Jae Joong, but backed away.

Noona…. He’s the Demon boy-girl all the kids in that village talk about….Get away from it noona or it’ll kill you … Hyung.. I’m scared” the youngest said as he cowered behind his brother.

Sunflower Girl took a look at Jae Joong who was surrounded by sunflowers and laughed out loud. Jae Joong in return gave her a dirty look and stepped towards the little boys as if to hit them.

“Now boys is that anyway to treat Sook Shin noona’s friend? “ The man on the crutches said to the little boys and then turned to Sook Shin and Jae Joong, “ I’m very sorry for their reaction to you… Sook Shin thank you soo much for helping… with this injury I don’t think I would have been able to do this without. And thank you as well young boy for helping. Kids come and get all the flowers and place them where I showed you ok?”

The three boys lined up and in unison said, “ Yes father.” The two that did not have flowers went up to Jae Joong cautiously, took the flowers and ran off to a nearby house.

Sook Shin went up to the man and gave him a hug and began helping him back up to the house. She turned to Jae Joong, “ Come on!!! There is still more to do… but first lets help Uncle Yuoung back to the house so he can help Yun, Chun, and Jun with the flowers and we can go do the next part of preparations.”

Jae Joong gave her a look and stuck out his tongue, but suddenly changed his expression to cold when he notices Uncle Yuoung was watching and smiling at the site. Jae Joong walked up to Sook Shin and Uncle Yuoung, took Shin Sook’s place beside Uncle Yuoung, bowed and offered his hand to him. Uncle Yuoung smiled and accepted Jae Joong’s hand and the three began to walk to the house.

As they reached the home.. Sook Shin took the lead and directed Jae Joong to the back yard. When he reached the back yard, he could not believe his eyes. So this is why Sook Shin needed all the flowers for… he thought to himself as he watched the 3 boys run around the backyard placing the flowers around. It was as if he was back at his family’s sunflower field. The backyard was filled with sunflowers, there were candles scattered all over the patio flickering back and forth with the wind, but Sook Shin broke his trance and began to yet again drag him away, “ Uncle Yuoung.. you and the boys can finish this and Jae Joong oppa and I will be right back ok… if they show up before we get back send one of the boys to get us… we’ll be at the lake!!!”

Uncle Yuoung nodded and before Jae Joong could bow to him Sook Shin started pulling him, “Hurry!!! Let’s go”

Jae Joong annoyed couldn’t do anything and followed. When they reached the lake, Sook Shin pulled out of backpack she had been wearing two nets and two cloth bags handing one of each to Jae Joong.

“ What are these for?” he said with a confused look. She smiled and point up which confused Jae Joong even more confused and suddenly she jumped up and swung the net and quickly put the net in the bag. Jae Joong watched confusingly, but then noticed something glowing in the bag. He looked up into the sky and realized what they were for.

“Hurry up!!! They’ll be here soon and we have to get back before they do!!” she said as she laughed and began running around swinging her net like wild, “ I bet you I can catch more fireflies than you !!! A demon boy-girl shouldn’t be as quick as a Sunflower Girl!!! Hahahhaa”

“Why you!!! You’re on!!” and he quickly joined in. As they were running around the lake filling their bags with fireflies, Jae Joong constantly looked at Sook Shin wondering to himself how could a person be so cheerful and happy, he couldn’t help but smile and feel happy himself. After awhile they were able to fill up the bags with hundreds of fireflies the tired two decided to rest and sit down at the lake.

“So.. your name is Sook Shin … and this is the reason why you picked so many flowers this time…who are those people?” Jae Joong said.

Sook Shin said as she was trying to catch her breath, “ Yes my name is Sook Shin heheh… its pretty ne, but just keep on calling me Sunflower Girl because its cute and because you gave me that name. hahahha”

“whatever… “ he said as his face slowly began to blush.

“Uncle Yuoung was my mom’s best friend when she was in medical school. And while I was following my mom on her trips to visit homes out of reach of hospitals we came here. Uncle Yuoung had gotten hurt when he went to go get some fire wood…so my mom tended his injury and I watched his kids. So from then on I would come and help out and a few days ago Uncle Yuoung seemed sad so I asked him. He said that today he wanted to plan a special gift for his parents. That today was the day that his mother first met his father in the middle of your family’s sunflower field 50 years ago and started their love story.. They have never forgotten that day and when they were younger they would go back to the field where they first met on this day and promise their love to one another again for another year. But Uncle Yuoung’s mother has been very ill so they have not been able to go for many years.. so he wanted to reinact if for his parents because they cant go down to the fields anymore but they miss it dearly. But because of his injury he could not…”

“ So you decided to help him out..”

“Yes!!! Aren’t I a sweet little girl oppa?”

“heh, sweet isn’t the word I would use…. “

“You are mean!!”

“Ok so I get the flowers… and I get the fireflies.. probably something to do with that day too but why did you have two sets of nets and bags… and why did you pick all those flowers at once when you knew that…” but before he even finished his sentence the look on her face explained it all, “oh so you planned to this all along didn’t you?? Aish… and I fell for it…”

“hhehehe well I knew you came to see me at the field everyday… so I thought you could help me out… all I had to do was be clever about it… heheheh…plus even though you look cold and mean… I knew you were nice and sweet…”

“well you can say whatever now because I’m already here…so it could be lies and it wouldn’t matter.”

“No… I mean it… you are sweet and you should laugh and smile more… because it makes you look more friendly… I see you around the village… how you look sad when the other kids avoid you or when the pick on you… “

“…. I don’t need friends… I’ don’t want friends…“ he said with a solemn look.

“But I want to be your friend…” she pulls out the red stone the pocket of her costume and shows it to Jae Joong, “remember I told you this was good luck.. I said it was good luck because it gave me the opportunity to meet a person like you and be friends with.”

Jae Joong went silent as he looked at Sook Shin who was looking into his eyes.

“Noona!!!! Granpa and Gramma are here !!! Hurry we need to get back” all the sudden Jun rushed in breaking the awkward silence, “ I’ll take the bags.. Noona hurry and get ready.” And as quickly as he came he left.

Sook Shin jumped up and started rustling in her bag and pulled out another hamtaro costume like hers and a paper and handed it Jae Joong, “ Here put this on!! And start memorizing this”

Jae Joong took a look at the costume and the paper and shook his head, “ What!!! Oh noo…. I’m not putting this on… and I’m not singing!!! I don’t know how to sing!!! I don’t want to do this… you cant make me!!”

“Please… Uncle Yuoung’s parents are hear… and you said that you would help all the way… this is the last thing … please ooppa.. you don’t want to disappoint Uncle Yuoung and his parents right?”

Jae Joong paused and thought about it and began putting on the costume, “…… but I can’t .. I don’t know how to sing”

“You’ll do it??!!! I love you!!! It’s ok I can’t sing either but Uncle Yuoung said it was ok because Grandpa couldn’t sing either. Aww you look soo cute!!! Come on lets go!!” and once again hand in hand the two ran back to the house. Sook Shin led him into the middle of the sunflower field they had made and hid among the flowers. Jae Joong could see Jun on one side with a bag and his other brother on the opposite side with the other bag. Yun, the oldest was at the patio with a guitar. Everyone went silent as they heard Uncle Yuoung’s voice along with two others walking towards the backyard.

“Yuoung… where are my grandkids and little Shinnie…” the grandmother said anxiously waiting for a reply.

“Oh Mom and dad… Shinnie took the boys to her house so we could have a quiet dinner to celebrate today.” Uncle Yuoung said without any hint of it being something else.

“hohoho … what is today?... the day your mother fell and broke her hip??? Hahahaha… why are we celebrating that??” his father said jokingly as they slowly made their way to the back yard.

“Chunsuk… how could you not remember what tonight is??? Its been 50 yrs exactly tonight… I can’t believe you forgot”,Yuoung’s mother sad as she hit her husband Chunsuk and began to tear up.

“Bomi don’t cry… I was just joking.. I know what tonight means to the two of us… it’s the night that we first met when I was practicing singing and you came out to complain that I was horrid… the night I knew that I had found the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with .”

“Oh Chunnie…”

“And because tonight is such a special night we prepared something very special for you… Mom, dad… our gift to you to celebrate the night you found love…” as Yuoung said the opened the fence leading to the back and let his parents walk in first.

“WE???” the parents said as they continued forward.

Instantly after they entered Yun, began playing the guitar and as his grandparents they came close enough to see what had been planned, the two looked at one another and in tears embraced each other.

“Are you ready? “ Sook Shin said quietly to Jae Joong. He could not respond though as he had tensed up. Sook Shin seeing this held onto his hand and smiled. Jae Joong looked back at her and as if he had not been nervous at all nodded back..

“Oh.. Yuoung … this is the best… “ but before his mother could say anything futher Sook Shin and Jae Joong rose up from among the flowers and began to sing:

Hyoo~~ bolsso ige myot bonche ilka?
Nan onuldo.. irohge noui jibkaji ogo maraguna

As they were singing, Yuoung walked up to his teary eyed parents and gave them each a Sunflower and led them to a bench surrounded by sunflowers and then he joined Yun on the patio and with another guitar joined in the song.

Norul choum mannan nal sori obshi bamse nunun nerigo
kuthdo obshi chajadunun gidarim sarange shijag iosso
gilmothungie soso nunul majumyo norul gidaridaga oh~
dorasonun ashwiume guriumman sahyodo nan sulphuji anha

Chunsuk looked at the sight and then looked at his wife, suddenly reflecting back on that very night as tears streamed from his eyes. Bomi crying as well and then looked into her husband’s eyes and pulled his face in closer and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. The two embraced as Jae Joong and Sook Shin continued to sing. Though Jae Joong and Sook Shin knew they could not sing, the expressions on Chunsuk and Bomi gave them the strength to continue on singing with all their hearts.

Nun nerigo werobdon bami jinamyon
molliso dullyo onun sebyog jongsori

Jae Joong focused on singing looked down and noticed that he was still holding hands with Sook Shin. He at first wanted to let go but seeing the emotion Sook Shin expressed as she was singing, he smiled and held onto her hand even tighter. Sook Shin took a look at Jae Joong’s smiling face and smiled back, holding on to his hand tighter as well.

Honjamane sarangun sulphojinungora marhaji marayo
gude hyanghan guriumun namane goshinde
weroume gasum aphado gu aphumkaji saranghangoya

As Jae Joong and Sook Shin sang the last line of the song, Jun and Chun slowly released the fireflies filling up the night sky with hundreds of glittering lights. Sook Shin still holding Jae Joong’s hand picks two sunflowers handing one to Jae Joong and leads him out of the “field” towards Chunsuk and Bomi. As they stand before Bomi and Chunsuk… the two hand the couple the two sunflowers and bowed. Unable to control their emotions both Bomi and Chunsuk pull Jae Joong and Sook Shin in and give them huge hugs…

“Thank you so much!!!” Chunsuk and Bomi said in tears, “You don’t know how much this means to us… Thank you… thank you for letting us relive this most touching moment once again…even wearing what I wore that day”

Sook Shin began to cry while still hugging Chunsuk and Chunsuk wiped the tears from her eyes. Jae Joong stood still as Bomi hugged him… this was the first time someone other than his family members hugged him with such warmth and love that he slowly began to hug back.

“Are you only going to hug noona and her friend?? What about us??? We helped too…” the three boys said as they ran to their grandparents.

Bomi and Chunsuk let go of Sook Shin and Jae Joong and hugged their grandkids and Yuoung, “ Thank you … all of you for this…”

Suddenly Sook Shin wiped her face, took Jae Joong and said, “Well our job here is finished. We are happy you liked this and congratulations once again, but it is late and we should be getting home.”

“But can’t you stay Shinnie? It’s too dark for you to go down the mountain by yourself…” Bomi said.

“Its ok… ” Sook Shin says with a smile and then turns to Jae Joong, raising their hand together, “We have flashlights to light the way… its ok … and I have him… so everything will be fine….. “
Jae Joong hearing this couldn’t help but sense a feeling of happiness that he could not describe.. he only could smile..

“Goodnight everyone!!!”, said the two as they bowed and waved goodbye, beginning to make their way back home.

As the two slowly faded into the darkness of the forest, Bomi quietly whispered to Chunsuk as they watched the two young children walk away hand in hand, “ Chunnie… “

“Yes Bomi?” Chunsuk replied he pulled Bomi to shield her from the wind.

“Do you see what I see….”

“You mean those two….”

“Yes…. Don’t they remind you of how two people around 50 years ago found rivaly…. “

“Yes…” he began to lean closer to Bomi’s head.

“Found friendship…”

“Yes… “ as he lightly caressed her hair

“And finally found love….” Bomi said with tears streaming down and a smile on her face..

“Just like how we started our love story… “