Chapter 03: Dead Leaves Don’t Fall If Not Blown By Wind

"Wait, what did you just say?"

Flynn says as she chuckles a little, not able to understand what Jin just said. It's the fourth day of  Jin's bride's room remodelling and it is almost done. It just needs the curtains to be hung on the windows and here they are. Jin is kneeling in front of Flynn. The boys he had been living with are here, looking at them like his sudden proposal is something Flynn wanted for years.

"I said.." Jin sighs. "Marry me."

"Shut up, you asshole." Flynn says, finally letting out a bitter chuckle as she stares deep into his eyes. "I don't know if you got your head bumped into something stupid while we are working together or you are just some naive narcissistic shit but I am not gonna marry you, jackass." She says, kicking him on his knees before grabbing her old black bag and leaving the room. He's hilarious. He is fucking hilarious. The way he looked at her like she is the luckiest girl because he proposed to her makes her want to punch him in the face.

"Ouch. That hurt." Jin says as he stands up, looking at Flynn's figure walking away on his second floor hall.

"Pfft."  Joon starts.

They are all looking away, trying not to laugh with what just happened.

"What-- are you all seriously laughing at me?" Jin asks tiredly.

"We told you that this is not gonna work, didn't we?" Hee Seong says as he giggles.

"Well, atleast I tried. Isn't that what matters, right, Jimin?" Jimin is not looking at Jin but he just burst into a pit of laughter that everyone found so funny.

....

Flynn kicked one of Jin’s flower pots before going out of his gate.

"Who does he think he is? I knew something was weird with that shit! I should have never-- but he pays really well though. Will he pay me more if I marry him?"

I mean, he's not so bad. He's handsome and dreamy. If he thinks that Flynn is a wife material then how could she say no?

"Fuck, Flynn! Shut it!" She says, cursing herself for thinking such kinds of thoughts.

"Hey! What are you doing here, aren't you Flynn Louviele?" 

It's a cop. A fucking cop that she never seen before. He has those cunning eyes similar to a fox, mild tan skin and sharp jaw. She could tell that he is an antagonist in his own story.

"If I am Flynn, why does that matter to you? I am not doing--"

"No! You're stealing something inside that mansion, aren't you? Boys, cuff her and bring her to our station."

Who the hell is this nosy cop?

"I SAID AM NOT--"

"and call the owner of this house, let's ask him what this girl stole inside his property."

Great, he is not even letting her say anything. The cop orders his men without even listening to Flynn.

"We're so sorry, Flynn. He's new." She recognised the cops that are putting cuffs on her, they are the ones that used to let her get by before.

"New?" So he's the son of a bitch Rose had been warning her about?

"Come on guys!" That bitch, Hee Sun says.

...

"What? Where is she?"

Jin asks Hyun once again.

"Some cop named Hee Sun told me that she's in the police station and he wants to speak to you if ever Flynn stole something in your place." Hyun shrugs.

"Why would he arrest her without any evidence?" Jin sneers as he gets up from his couch.

"Here goes Mr. Failed Proposal but is still her Knight In Shining Armour." Jeon teases.

"I mean, you know how Flynn lived. That cop probably is watching her for a while now and is just waiting for her to do something stupid so that he could finally arrest her." Hee Seong explains.

"She's now walking on thin ice."

"Damn it. Jimin, please come with me."

...

Never in her life did she expect to sit in one of these nasty cells. The boys from the other cells look at her like she's some hot stuff and she seriously wants to kick them in their ugly faces. She had always been clever and smart with her business and she never thought some stupid new cop will arrest her for something she did not even do.

"Come, Flynn. You're out." Robin, one of the cops that she knew says.

"Where's that stupid cop? I told him I didn't steal anything. He's so stupid." She says, getting her bag and going out of the cell immediately.

"He's talking to Mr. Kim." Robin casually says.

"Hell, Flynn. Didn't you just turn twenty a few months ago? How can you be engaged already?"

Engaged? Did that stupid jerk told him that they were engaged? And did that Hee Sun honestly called him to question him if she stole anything in his house?

Fucking idiots.

"Baby! I'm so sorry you had to get through this." Jin says as he sees her walking near them. She rolls her eyes. "We had an argument so she kicked one of my flower pots but that's okay. I mean, she means more than that." 

He explains to Robin.

Hee Sun is smirking down to her. His gaze is something she does not understand and she hates it.She seriously wants to ruin that smile on his face right now.

"Well now I believe Flynn is good to go."

Robin smiles kindly at them.

But Flynn’s gaze is fixated on Hee Sun.

Why does she even feel like something wrong is going to happen when this cop is around?

Jin is talking to Robin and that's how Hee Sun managed to approach Flynn. He smiles at her maliciously and whispers to her.

"I'll see you later, sister."

Sister?

She's an only child, isn't she? Her mind seemed to drift away and she did not even notice Jin dragging her away from the precinct. They are now riding in Jin’s car and Jimin is driving.

"Don't ever try to go near that cop," Jin says seriously.

She immediately shots him a stare. Is he angry?

"Excuse me?" She asks.

"He's someone I.."

"Do you know him?" She asks again.

"No. I mean, yes but--"

"Nevermind. I don't plan to go near you either on that shit again." She says.

Jimin winces with the amount of hate from her voice. Huina sure casted some spell on her.

"I'm sorry." Jin apologizes.

"Save it." Flynn says tiredly. "You've paid me enough and I guess that's already fine. Don't contact me anymore."

"Please drop me off at that corner."

"I will not let you walk alone home--"

"I didn't ask for your permission."

Jimin immediately stops the car as he and Jin stare at her figure walking away from their car, Jin then heaves a sigh.

"Do you think we'll ever become mortals again with her help?"

...

"Hey, Flynn!"

Seolla and Flynn had been spending time together a lot these past few days and Flynn could finally say that maybe they are finally getting closer than before.

"Hi, Seolla. I brought cupcakes. Do you want to eat them with me?"

"Of course!"Seolla says as she happily hops on Flynn's house. Flynn could see how she looked at her hand from time to time as if she's looking for something so she asked her.

"Are you looking for something?"

"Did something happen today?" She asks.

"Well..." Flynn starts. "Some guy proposed to me."

Seolla did not look shocked, she looked worried rather.

"So did you say yes?"

"I mean, isn't it weird if I said yes? I met him like five or six days ago." She sighs.

"He's some crackhead and I'm getting a headache because of him."

Seolla sighs.

"Well, you're right." Seolla says as she takes a cupcake out of the box. "It's not like marriage is an easy decision to make."

"It's not like we're in the first centuries where marriages work even if people just met two hours before their wedding."Flynn says, honestly.

She tries hard to forget all of the bad memories her parents' marriage brought to her at a very young age but she knew better. She's not gonna marry a man just because he's handsome and rich. He could be some kind of a sadist and she would not know.

"Marriage is even more sacred than now, Flynn. It is not like how you think it was." Seolla says with a small smile on her lips.

"I am some sort of a historian, I know almost every single thing that happened before."

"Like for example?" Flynn asks.

"Women are not allowed to talk to other men if they are in a wedlock. Talking to other men is already considered cheating and when you cheat, you will be beheaded in the town's plaza, before the eyes of everyone that will judge you mercilessly." She starts. "Have you ever heard about the story of the Moon Guardian?"

This is just getting even more exciting. Flynn likes stories and novels. That's the same reason why she collects books. She smiles,

"I haven't." She answers. "But I would like to hear about it."

"I have a book here. It's a novel based on the Moon Guardian's life that was written almost 700 years ago." She says, taking out a black book that looked like a journal. “Actually, I don’t think it’s a novel. I would call it a journal but people call it a novel.”

"Wow. Are you saying that this book is old? An antique classic?" Flynn asks, grabbing the book and opening it carefully. “Wah, the smell of the papers is just..”

It's written by hand and it looked really interesting to the girl.

"It is." Seolla says.

"What is it about? Can you give me some insights about it?"

"Well it's about how strict and wicked marriages are like from the past." Seolla informs. "The Moon Guardian became a God because he killed his own wife and he is being punished."

"He.. he killed his own wife?" She almost cries but she holds it in. Seolla sees it and tries to comfort the lady. "But he had reasons. Sometimes not everything we see is real, sometimes they are just a part of the truth."

"I should get going. That book is really good. You'll learn a lot from it."

Seolla leaves and that's when Flynn finally got to open the book and read it with her own eyes.

Dead Leaves Don't Fall if it's not blown by Wind

written by: KSJ

"Isn't it too dramatic?"

But she has to read it. She wants to know why the Moon Guardian killed his own wife.

She wants to know his reasons and maybe will learn to forgive her own father.

Dead Leaves Don't Fall If It's Not Blown By the Wind.

Love, I always wanted you to feel how I feel for you.

You're my perfect companion and I never thought of seeing let alone loving anyone but you.

You're someone I cannot describe with words.

And now all I am left with is a deep hearted remorse.

I even fear death because forever will never be enough for me to love you.

That if you were my jailer, why would I even want to escape from you?

(One month before Lee's execution, November 1321)

It's almost winter and everyone is getting ready for the frozen months ahead. Lee is harvesting the vegetable crops by their small garden and is smiling as she thinks of Jinan going home after three long months of his military service from the borders of the country. She misses him and all she could think about is his long strong arms wrapped around her as he places his bag down the floor the moment he enters their home.

"Our dear town leader's wife! Get this salted meat and cook it for our town leader's dinner later. He's gonna come home tonight, won't he?"

As expected, everyone is lining up on their house's fence before Jin gets home, giving Lee presents and food that they made themselves for the welcoming of the kind, handsome and smart town leader, Kim Jinan.

"Oh, yes. Thank you."

Lee smiles.

"He will be so happy and grateful for the gifts. We can't even thank you enough for these."

"Those people said that you're too young to be a homemaker, but I am right. You're a good wife despite your age, keep it up, Missus Lee." The old woman says.

Lee just smiles.

Jinan and her met two years ago after her parents and his parents told them that they were getting married despite their young age. They are complete strangers but they end up falling in love with each other. They barely knew what to do, Jinan being a twenty three man that studies law and Lee being a young eighteen year old girl that only knew how to read books all day.

"Thank you so much. I will make sure that I will get to tell Jinan how much you all treat me kindly." They all say.

She smiles. Lee is a graceful and cheerful young woman. She never did get angry before and never complained to her parents even once. If there is perfection, then maybe she'll be one of the candidates of its definition.It was until that night, when Jinan came home with a betrayed and sulking expression in his deep brown eyes.He asked her a question that she will not be able to forget all her life. A question that will change all of her and his whole life.

"Are you cheating on me with your own brother, Park Lee?"

…

(Present Time)

“Good day, I’m here for a doctor’s appointment.” Flynn says, trying to sound as polite as she can.

“Good day, and your name is?” The Psychiatric Clinic receptionist asks.

“Flynn. Flynn Louviele.” She answers.

“Please wait a minute.”

The receptionist types her name on her computer and smiles at her as she finds her appointment schedule.

“I’ve found your name. Dr. Vita Chiong, 10:30 AM. You’re a few minutes early but you can enter her office now. Office number 9201 on the ninth floor, left alley from the elevator.”

“Oh, thanks.”

The receptionist smiles at her one last time before she turns around and walks towards the elevator.

She reaches the 9th floor in no time and she knocks on the door of Dr. Chiong’s office. The door opens, her eyes widened as she sees a familiar face inside her psychiatrist’s office.

“Look who’s here. Miss Flynn Louviele?” Hee Sun, the cop that arrested her a few days ago says. The tone of his voice is surely annoying and her face immediately heats up.

“Why are you here?” Flynn asks. Stern and clear. Sending him a signal that his presence annoys the hell out of her existence.

“Well, I just finished my doctor’s appointment but I guess I’m lucky to see you here.”

“Get lost.” she says, pushing him out of her way

“Oh, there you are Miss Flynn Louviele!” Dr. Chiong comes out from the small rest room and smiles at her. “Mister Park, your appointment ended minutes ago. You can go.”

“Sheesh. Okay, okay. Women are definitely feisty for their sizes.”and thank heavens, the cop leaves.

“So how are you doing, Miss Flynn Louviele?”