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she who always remembered
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🌸🌸🌸
Alone in the library, Hana browsed through the bookshelves trying to find the black hole she saw the other day with Dan Oh at the school's skywalk. She wanted to know if there was a connection between the pain in her heart, some of her lost memories that weren't in Trumpet Creeper, and the black hole. She knew it was dangerous, Jinmichae warned her, but she had to risk it to find out the truth.
She abruplty stopped when her eyes caught a familiar title on one of the books displayed.
MAEHWA
She stared at it with confusion, but she felt mixture of emotions. She felt nostalgic and joy, with sorrow and grief. Ignoring the swirling of emotions she was feeling, she touched to grab the book. As soon as she touched it, she heard familiar voices, one of it is hers.
"If there is a life after this, I will find you and will choose to love you."
"You will not remember, but I will. Just like a plum blossom, I will endure until we see each other again."
Overwhelmed by such strong emotions, she pulled the book from the shelf and stared carefully at it. It was obviously a manhwa. Plum blossoms and cherry blossoms were beautifully engraved on the cover. She looked up and her eyes widen in horror. Hiding behind the bookshelf was the black hole. There was loud ringing in her ears and her chest started to hurt even more painful than before, as if a sword pierced deeply right through her heart.
She endured the pain as she grazed her fingers across the title of the manhwa in her hands, unaware her surrounding started to glitch violently in a historical setting. She opened the manhwa and her eyes widen in horror and realization as she read the character description.
Siu Hana
female lead
a princess
Do Hwa's true love
Lee Do Hwa
male lead
a commoner
Hana's true love
She gasped in shock as memories of her past character came back to her like a tidal wave.
Maehwa was the first manhwa the writer had made, and also the first manhwa Hana and Do Hwa were in as the main characters. It was a simple love story in a historical setting about a commoner and a princess, who chose to strip her title and step down as royalty to be with the one she loved.
The two met when Hana escaped from the palace to visit the busy marketplace and enjoy her short freedom, while Do Hwa was browsing the stalls. The two accidentally bumped into each other and felt a connection. They locked eyes and time seemed to stop around them, as if they were the only people present. Their hearts fluttered, beating as one. It was love at first sight for both of them.
After their first meeting, Hana returned to the palace as her thoughts were filled with the image of the handsome stranger. Meanwhile, Do Hwa remained in the middle of the street with a stupid lovestruck smile on his face, remembering the beautiful stranger he accidentally bumped into.
The two, with the help of fate, met again and again as their feelings of attraction to one another grew and turned to something else, love.
At that time Hana became slowly aware of herself. She was frightened and confused, not knowing what was happening to her and what she was supposed to do. She felt her memories slipping away then coming back again, remembered how she was in the palace then being outside the garden or with Do Hwa, seeing floating objects around her, she heard a flip of a page and a sound of a book closing. She thought she was going crazy for experiencing such things for the first time, but then it happened all over again as if in a sequence. She slowly understood what was going on. Finally coming to a conclusion, there was a stage, a scene, awareness of the character, the comic world, and the writer.
She tried telling Do Hwa about it in a stage, but everytime she does, she was back to what they were doing again and Do Hwa would forget everything she said. She finally understood that she couldn't control what will happen, but it wouldn't hurt to try, so she tried to make Do Hwa aware in the shadow.
The more she spent time with Do Hwa in the shadow, she couldn't help but fall for him. What she loved about him was how easy for him to always make her smile.
At the end of the manhwa, Stage Hana chose to step down as royalty and strip her title as princess to become a commoner with Do Hwa. They stood on top of a hill, underneath a plum blossom.
"Why would you do that? Your life would be so much happier as the princess."
Hana chuckled as she cupped Do Hwa's face with her hands. "Without you? My days will be filled with pain and loneliness. Everything I ever wanted is in front of me, I couldn't ask for more. No amount of gold, shiny jewels or riches of the world could compare to what I was given, and it is someone to truly love." she said with so much love in her voice.
Do Hwa smiled lovingly. "I am just a mere commoner and I have nothing to give, but I pledge my life in protecting and loving you." he said and leaned down towards Hana to capture her lips with his.
Hana heard the sound of a book closing, indicating the stage ended. She didn't know what would happen when the writer finsihed the manhwa.
"Hana."
Hana looked at Do Hwa, who continued to smile lovingly at her. "I love you, Siu Hana, whether we are in a stage or in the shadow." he declared.
Hana's eyes widen in shock, realizing what he just said. "Do Hwa, you are aware?"
The sound of a book closing was heard again, but this time it was loud as their surroundings started to glitch violently and darken. Hana and Do Hwa's eyes widen in horror, realizing what was happening.
Do Hwa pulled Hana into his arms and tightly embraced her. "If there is a life after this, I will find you and will choose to love you."
Hana felt something wasn't right and glanced at the plum blossom tree. 'You will not remember, but I will remember you. Just like a plum blossom, I will endure until we see each other again."
Hana gasped loudly as she found herself back inside the library. She looked down and saw Maehwa in her hand before smiling softly.
'Do Hwa and I were in Maehwa, Trumpet Creeper, and Secret. If I wasn't aware, I would think we were the writer's favourite characters.'
Acquiring her past memories in Maehwa, Hana fully understood why she chose to protect Do Hwa in Trumpet Creeper. She understood why she love Do Hwa, depsite the pain. She knew Do Hwa lost his memories of Maehwa.
She looked up at the black hole, but it disappeared. Instead, staring at her from the other side of the bookshelf was Do Hwa, who looked at her with pure concern.
"Hana?"
Hana stared at him for a moment before realizing something warm was dripping down her face. She touched her cheek and felt it was wet. She was crying. She looked at her childhood friend. She was crying in front of Do Hwa.
'Of all the students in Seuli High School, why does it have to be Do Hwa? Why him? Why now when I finally remembered we were in a manhwa together before Trumpet Creeper and Secret?'
Hana heard footsteps and turned around to find Joo Da walking out of the library. Her eyes widen in shock, realizing why Do Hwa was in the library. It was the stage where Do Hwa's character started to like Joo Da.
Tears continued to fall as Hana gently shakes her head in disbelief. She ignored the pain in her heart and she smiled sadly at Do Hwa. With a heartbroken look on her face, she glared at Do Hwa and ran away.
"Hana!"
Do Hwa's eyes widen in shock and tried to run after her, wanting to make sure she was okay but immediately stopped when he remembered the look on her face. He watched sadly as she disappeared from his sight.
"Hana, that look. Why did you look at me with those eyes?"
He looked completely lost before winching in pain as he clutched his chest tightly.
"It hurts..."