Flashback- Sanghoon POV
For the next few days, I had to take Yulhee to Gangneung, and it turned to be 3 days a week. Her father always apologized to me for having to take her, he said he could send her on carriage, but she always insisted on going by foot.
Eventually, we grew closer to each other, since we had to walk long distances together, and she was the kind of girl to talk for hours, and I enjoyed listening to her.
Yulhee was a dreamy girl, she wanted to travel a lot, enjoyed reading, swimming, and loved children. On one of the trips, she told me she wanted to become a mother, and that she dreamed of having a children care house. However, every time she told me about that dream, her smile slowly faded, as if something didn't allow her to do so, and I was afraid I knew what it was.
"Son, I am sorry to trouble you again with Yulhee, I promise I will slowly repay you." The landlord handed me some bags to carry, early in the morning.
"Do not worry, sir. I walk everyday that distance so I am used to it." I hanged the bags on each shoulder. The landlord just sighed, smiling.
"Yulhee!" He called. "Hurry up."
Yulhee said goodbye to her father and we headed to the trail. Once again, we talked about all the stories we had to share, everything that could come in mind.
"Tell me again the story of your parents." She clapped with a huge smile on her face.
"I have told you this story several times." I chuckled.
"I know, I just want to hear it again."
"Fine." I started to tell how my parents met and everything they went through to have me and live on their own. Yulhee truly enjoyed that story, I could see it in her face.
Once I finished, she remained silent, thinking.
"It's amazing how your father stood up and ran away with your mother." She said.
"They did not run away" I chuckled, "but sort of, yes. I too enjoy that story, I believe my parents experienced true love."
A minute or two passed in pure silence again.
"Do you remember the question I asked you the first day we traveled together?"
"I have terrible memory, so no, I am sorry." I said.
"About the lovers." She hesitated to keep going, and I was confused.
"Do you get to choose who you love?" She asked, and my heart stopped, because I remembered the question, and I know knew why she asked it.
"I... there is not someone I love right now."
"I did not ask that."
Again, silence.
"Do you?" She stopped walking, waiting for me to answer.
"I think this is not a topic we shou-"
"I don't want to marry that man."
I felt a knot in my throat and a hole in my stomach. She confessed what I already knew. I wanted to hold her in my arms and comfort her, but my parents words kept coming to mind. I developed feeling for her, and I wanted to tell her how much in love of her I was, but it wasn't right.
I sighed. "I can not help you."
"You can."
"I know you have feelings for me. And I have them t-"
"Yulhee, stop it." I said, "I am just completing my task."
"Sang Hoon..."
Before she could keep talking, I heard voices, and I knew exactly what kind of voices. I grabbed Yulhee and hid behind some trees. A group of men were passing by, and they were thieves. Suddenly, another voice popped from behind of us.
"We have a beautiful princess here, boys!" Everybody turned to our direction, I put my arm in front of Yulhee.
I knew what kind of things they did, and we were not going to get out of there alive. I grabbed Yulhee's hand, and sprinted with her. My house was closer than the gates, and it was also kind of hidden, so that's were I took her. We ran without looking back, for about ten minutes, untill we arrived to my house.
We were soaked, as it had started to rain. My mother received us, she eyed me because she knew what was going on, and I could tell she was not okay with it.
While Yulhee changed clothes, my mother took me outside.
"Sang Hoon, we already talked about this."
"She confessed she does not want to marry that man."
"She clearly doesn't want to, Hoon, but that is not your problem to solve."
"I like her." I said, determined to do everything for her. My mother sighed, dissapointed.
"Do not interfiere, you are not in a position to marry that girl, you have nothing to offer to her father."
"I love him." My mother and I were interrupted by Yulhee, who listened to our conversation.
"Sweetheart, you should return to your house." Mother said.
"I am sure we can figure this out. I want to be with your son as much as your husband fought for you both." Yulhee confronted my mother, making her look at me as if she was mad because I told her about them.
"Sang Hoon." My mother called me.
"Yes?"
"Do you love this girl?"
I got nervous, since she was just there, also waiting for me to answer. It was truly the most awkward confession ever.
"I do."
My mother sighed, defeated. "When there is love in between, there is nothing much to do. But I have no idea how will you make her father allow you to be together, you have nothing to offer."
"We will think of something, I will talk to him." Yulhee said, smiling.
"What about father?" I asked my mom.
"I can talk to him too."
.
.
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Aeri's POV
"Im assuming it didn't go well, since you said she passed away long ago." I said, a bit impatient.
"Aeri!" Hyunjin scolded me, widening his eyes.
"It's okay, it's okay." The old man laughed. "I'm sorry, i caught myself reviving those memories so it's taking me forever to tell you about the shell. I'll sum it up." He said, and continued.
"Yulhee managed to send letters to her father pretending to be her fiancé, stating that she was doing fine in Gangneung and that she wanted to stay more days. As to her fiancé, she sent letters pretending to be her father, stating that she wasn't feeling well to go or that she had important things to do.
We would "travel" to Gangneung, but we actually went to my house and spent our time there. My father wasn't okay with it at first, but eventually gave up and even welcomed her to our house."
"How much time did you spent with this game?"
"About 6 months. Those names written on the tree, we carved them one of those times we spent here, the night we expressed our feelings the most."
"What do you mean?" Hyunjin asked. The man laughed and continued.
"A while after that, we found out she was pregnant."
Both Hyunjin and I widened our eyes, and Hyunjin finally understood what he meant.
"We couldn't actually hide a baby, so that's when Yulhee and I decided to confront her father, and ask him to let her marry me.
I remeber vividly the day we told him. He got extremely angry for lying to him, he found out about the letters. He was dissapointed of me, he told me he appreciated me for my efforts, but I messed that.
Of course, he did not allow us to marry, and in an attempt of convincing him, Yulhee confessed she was pregnant with my child.
The look on his face was pure madness. That night, he beat me up untill I got unconscious, and beat up Yulhee too."
"What about the baby?" I asked, again into the tragic story.
"She lost it that night, because of stress and the beat her father gave her."
As soon as he said that, Hyunjin and I started to tear up, the old man too. It was as if we all felt what they felt all over again.
"We are so sorry." Hyunjin said, touching the man's shoulder. He whipped his tears and continued the story.
"Although her father hated me, he still had some gratefulness because I took well care of her, so he "forgave" me, but of course fired me, telling me to never come back. Since he wasn't convinced me and Yulhee would stop seeing each other, he sent her away, to Incheon.
For two years, I didn't hear a word from her. I traveled several times to Incheon to look for her, but I had no luck, untill one day.
A/n: okay, i said it'd be a 3 chapter story, I'm sorryyyyyy I promise the 4th is the last of their story, (not the main, the side one.)
I'm just so into them, I don't want their story too be rushed, but I swear it's just half a chapter and I'll continue with Aeri and Hyunjin.
Yulhee and Sang Hoon's story is sad! Why am I writing something sad? 🥲😭
Anyways, sorry! I promise to get back to it next chapter, for real this time, forgive me!
Thank you for reading and being patient!😭🥰