"Why isn't she answering the phone? She was supposed to pick me up an hour ago!" she grumbled, redialing her best friend's number only to be directed straight to the automated voicemail.

"I will give Hak Si Woo ten more minutes."

Kang Choon Hee is a 20-year-old student enrolled at the leading university in the medical field. In four years, she will earn her Ph.D. Driven by a desire to make her parents proud, she has set aside her own dreams to pursue a career as a doctor, aiming to help her family overcome their financial struggles. Her family has held high expectations for her since the day she was born, which was marked by blooming flowers amidst a winter storm—a truly magnificent sight. They refer to her as lucky, likening her to a four-leaf clover.

She noticed a lone flower starting to bloom in the campus greenhouse. As she knelt down slightly, a genuine smile spread across her face at its elegant presence. "How beautiful," she thought to herself as she admired the flower.

A sudden thought crossed her mind; she had forgotten to inform Han Gyeol that she would be late for their first date.

On a snowy day, he approached her during the floral painting event, and from that moment on, their story began. They connected over their shared love for plants and flowers, which gradually blossomed into deeper feelings.

They exchanged phone numbers and texted each day without fail. Their bond grew stronger as they enjoyed lunches together, took long walks, attended gallery events, and even studied side by side.

Yet, there remained one small issue that neither of them had dared to admit their feelings for each other.

"That strange! He's usually picked up perhaps he's still in class."She glanced at her cellphone before sending him a text message.

After two more hours had gone by, Kang Choon Hee opted for public transportation. She was fortunate to discover some change on the ground, allowing her to catch a ride back to her apartment, which was located off-campus.

I hope Si Woo is doing alright. It’s quite unusual for her not to show up or even drop me a message. Perhaps she had a family emergency. Since we’re roommates, I’ll reach out to her later with a call.

When Kang Choon Hee unlocked the door, her heart sank upon hearing the sounds of a man and woman making passionate love in her bedroom. Overwhelmed with emotions, tears streamed down her face as she stood frozen, staring at a pair of shoes belonging to a man and a woman at her front door. Deep down, she didn’t want to accept the truth, but she already understood its implications without needing confirmation—her best friend Si Woo and Han Gyeol the boy she was beginning to date were betraying her in the most painful way. It shattered her heart into countless pieces.

All the memories came shattering down like a broken frame and her heart ached so much like someone was picking the petals from a rose and being pricked with thrones. Just saying in the apartment was suffocating and to breathe heavily stepping out of the door.

“ Hyong, p-please help me!” Tears streamed down her face as her lips quivered, clutching the phone to her ear with trembling hands..”My chest hurts so much I feel like I’m dying!”

As her brother arrived to pick her up in a taxi, he intended to ask her about what had transpired. However, he noticed that she was sound asleep. Amidst all the crying and heartbreak, she had no idea she had dozed off. When she finally opened her eyes, she saw her brother and father conversing outside. Carefully, she opened the taxi door and shut it softly behind her, feeling frightened and aware that her family would be disappointed in her.

“ You scared me to death! What the hell was that?” Her brother inquired.” You know father health is not good.”

“ Hyong, Pa. I am sorry if I worried you.” She spoke and turned her gaze away while tightly clenching her fist..” I found out that the guy I was dating was cheating on me with my bestfriend.”

In that instant, a hand abruptly swung and struck her across the face.“ Go back to the university this instant!”Her mother yelled.

“ Ma! Please, I don’t want to go back there! I rather wilt here and die. Let me live with you again, I promise I will not burden anything and I will embrace the farm live more freely this time.”

“Choon Hee, are you aware of how much your father and I sacrificed to ensure you could attend a reputable university and receive a quality education, unlike your siblings? Are you truly prepared to jeopardize all of that for a boy who was never yours to begin with? Do you understand how selfish your choice is at this moment? We are in debt so you can pursue your studies, and we had to part with every valuable possession to provide you with clothes and textbooks for your courses. If you do not return to college starting today, we will disown you, and you will no longer be a part of this family.”

“ Ma! I’m so sorry, please forgive me.” Kang Choon Hee knelt down, pleading for forgiveness while wiping her hands together, tears streaming down her face.”Don't do this! I'm your youngest child. Why can't you bring me back like you did with the others?

Her mother knocked her to the ground.,” Why is this child of mine so stupid?” She struck her.

The men intervened to stop the fight, as Kang Choon Hee faced punishment from her mother. Lying on the ground, she gazed at the grass, a single tear falling softly to the earth. Her cheeks were flushed a rosy red, and she bore a few bruises on her arm.

“Daughter, your mother is quite disappointed in you and does not want to see you right now. However, I cannot send you away. Instead of coming to the main house, how about you stay in the stable with the horses? At least you’ll be warm there. Perhaps tomorrow will bring a fresh start for us,” her father suggested.

“ Thank you, Pa! And I am sorry.”

He kept quiet and walked away with his hands clasped behind his back. Kang Choon Hee realized that he was also disappointed in her, yet he continued to treat her with care, as if she were his own child, despite the imperfect circumstances. She headed in the opposite direction of the horse stables and lay down on the hay. It was quite uncomfortable, and her heart ached with each passing moment; she couldn't manage to sleep a wink, filled with uncertainty about what tomorrow would bring.