Episode 5 – Protection

“Catch the ball Taetae! I’m throwing it to you!”

*FACE SLAM*

“Ouch!” her scream pierced through the silent backyard like a gun shot. Stephanie quickly rushed to Taeyeon’s side and check on her. Soon, teachers and the other children appeared through the door that connects the indoor to the outdoor.

“Are you okay Taetae? Let me touch your nose and see if it’s flat!” Stephanie pinches her friend’s nose to see if it’s damaged or broken.

“ah ah! Stephanie. It’s very painful.” Streams of tears flowed down Taeyeon’s cheeks.

“What happened here? Stephanie what did you do to Taeyeon?” one of the teachers questioned Stephanie, suspecting that Stephanie was the one who injured the other girl. Stephanie was shocked to be questioned in this manner. She is too overwhelmed to answer the teacher’s question.

“It’s the ball Miss Kimmmm. We were playing the ballllll. I ran with my back facing mushroom andddd when I turned around, the ballll hit my face. It’s not her faulttttt. Don’t blame her.” Taeyeon answered on the behalf of Stephanie. She was trying her best to fight back her tears so that she could speak clearly to the teacher. She looked over to Stephanie; she is standing so still that someone might have hit an acupressure point that stops any human movement. For some reason, she felt that her mushroom was accused of something that she did not do and that she has the responsibility to protect and speak up for her.

“If that is the case, be very careful the next time. Come; let’s go wash your face.” Miss Kim said and held Taeyeon’s hand, pulling her in to the washroom. Taeyeon turned her head and look over her shoulder to find that her mushroom was still as steel.

Realizing that she was alone, again, Stephanie walked towards the swing and sat down. She was feeling down since she was being accused that she hurt her playmate when in actual fact, everything was just an accident. No one wanted this to happen. She didn’t cry because all the accidents with the other children made her strong and tearless. She swayed and swayed, thinking if her playmate’s nose was broken. After washing, Taeyeon quickly escaped the teacher’s clutch and went to the backyard to find her playmate. She was spacing out on the swing at the corner of the backyard. Taeyeon ran up to the other girl and stood still in front of her.

“Look at my nose! It’s still working!” Taeyeon commented while wrinkling and poking her nose. When it did not garner any attention from the other girl, she added with her volume upped.

“It is all good! You can feel it!” she grabbed her playmate’s index finger and started poking her own nose.

“See! It’s hard. AH CHOO!” Stephanie finally looked up to Taeyeon’s face.

“hahaha. It’s… ticklish” She can’t help but chuckled at the face in front of her.

“You are smiling! I’m happy. I’ve got sweets with me.” She fumbled through her pockets and opened her palm containing the sweets. To her surprise, there was only one.

“There is only one. “There was sadness in her tone. Although she wanted to eat it very badly, she opened the wrapper and popped the sweet into the other girl’s mouth.

“You can have it! I have plenty of them back home. Mommy says when someone is not talking; a sweet will make them talk. Mushroom, are you there?”

“I... am” Stephanie replied short, still spacing out with the sweet in her mouth.

“Welcome back! I will push you so you will get higher!” Taeyeon ran to Stephanie’s back and slightly pushed her back. She continued this routine until Stephanie was getting really high.

“Taetae! It’s too high here. I’m scared!” Stephanie yelled. Taeyeon stepped to the side and attempted to slow down the swing by pulling the chains the opposite way.

“I will stop it!”

“Why did you push me so hard for? you are so mean!”

“Mint?! (same pronunciation as mean) you tasted me before?! How do you know I’m mint like a peppermint?”

“YAH! I meant mean! M-E-A-N. not M-I-N-T.” Stephanie replied the other girl with a smack on the latter girl’s shoulder.

Soon, the other girl became the reason for the other girl to attend their childcare. They grew closer and bonded very well. Every day passed happily with laughter, without any tears; which are all past tense now. But sadly, things don’t always end beautifully.

“Taetae, I..I..”

“Yes mushroom?

Episode 4 – Birthday

“Mushroom! I’m not coming to Joah tomorrow.”

“Why? Are you sick?”

“Because it’s my birthday tomorrow! So I’m celebrating it with my parents at the amusement park!”

“Oh. I see.” Those are the only words that Stephanie can answer to Taeyeon’s statement. She is feeling bitter because her playmate is not coming to join her and she will be alone for one whole day.

“Are you not going to give me presents?”

“What would you like? I cannot afford anything expensive.”

“I love stars and blue!”

“Stars and blue?”

“Yes! Do you think there are blue stars in the sky?”

“I’m not so sure. How about pink stars? Although I only see the normal white one at night.”

“I hope there are both blue and pink ones! This way, the sky will be filled with colourful stars! I’m sure it’s going to be very beautiful.”

“I think so too. How do we colour stars?”

“I don’t know. We should ask someone right?”

“Yes Taetae. I think I should ask my daddy. That way, when you return I will be able to give you a blue star!”

“Really?! I really wanted one. Blue star.”

“I will try my best to get it for you , Taetae!”

___

-In Stephanie father’s car-

“Daddy! Are there blue stars in the sky?”

“No Steph, there aren’t any blue stars in the sky.”

“How about pink ones? I love pink!”

“There are only normal stars in the sky Steph, the white ones. Why are you asking this Steph?”

“Because Daddy, tomorrow is Taetae’s birthday and I want to give her something.”

“That’s easy Steph. How about folding one? Origami.”

“That’s cool! Why didn’t I think of it! Thanks daddy!” Stephanie leaned forward and kissed her daddy on his cheek.

“But how do you do one, Daddy?”

“I will teach you how to do it once we reach home okay?”

“okay Daddy!”

- Stephanie home-

“First, you will need specialized paper for folding stars. I got it somewhere here. Wait a while for me Steph while I go get it.” Stephanie’s father went into the store room and searched for the papers while Stephanie was sitting quietly at the living room waiting for this father’s return.

“There it is! I found it.” Stephanie fixed her vision upon her father who is walking towards her with a tiny stack of strips of paper.

“Why are the paper long and not rectangle?”

“It is because it is a special paper Steph. You can only make stars out of these papers. Okay now, I will teach you how to make one.”

Both father and daughter were so absorbed into folding the stars that it has already past dinner time.

“gosh! It has already past dinner time Steph! Not hungry? I better go grab something before you get a gastric. I will be right back okay Steph. Be good and stay here till I’m back.” Stephanie’s father kissed her daughter on her forehead before grabbing his car keys and wallet.

I must at least fold one!

It was not easy to fold a star for an eighth year old(Korean age). She tried her best while her father was out getting dinner, and finally after 15minutes of perseverance, she completed one blue star.

I bet she will love this blue star!

Not long after Stephanie completed folding her star, her father returned with the food for dinner.

“Daddy! I did it! It’s a blue star. Look!” Stephanie said to her father while jumping upwards with the folded stars in between her index and third finger.

“I’m so proud of you Steph! Come and have your dinner. You must be hungry.”

Throughout the dinner, Stephanie cannot help but to think how Taeyeon would react after Stephanie show the latter the blue star she folded.

___

-10^th march-

“Taetae! You are here! Happy belated birthday!”

“Thanks mushroom. Where is my present?” a smile creep on Taeyeon’s face while she stretched out both her hands, hoping to receive her presents.

“You wanted a blue star right?”

“Yes! But my mummy said stars are only white in the sky.”

“I have got a blue star with me. Do you want it?” slowly, Stephanie faced turned into a eye-smile.

“Are you serious? How do you get it!? I want it!” this time, Taeyeon is really excited about her present. It was one which she longed to have.

“Here you go.” Stephanie placed her folded star into the palms of Taeyeon’s outstretched arm.

“This is a blue star! It is blue! And it’s a star! Thank you mushroom! You are the best!” Taeyeon hugged Stephanie and hopped around like a bunny.

“Do you like it?” Stephanie asked the birthday girl.

“I love it! I wish I can have more.”

“I will make you one on your birthday, each and every year. I promise.” Stephanie was delighted to know that her playmate liked her present so much.

“Are you serious? You are the best mushroom on earth!”

Episode 3 – Nicknames

The days at Joah were so much better for the both girls. They enjoyed each others’ company every day and never for one second that they felt lonely and miserable.

“Does this look like a castle to you Taetae?” Stephanie asked and glanced over to what Taeyeon was shaping with the sand. She then looked back to what she has built so far. She was very satisfied with her work, but she needed some kind of acknowledge that she is doing very well.

“Where are the doors? The prince cannot enter the castle to marry the princess this way.” Taeyeon leaned forward and stretch out her right index finger and attempted to dig a hole on one of the 4 sides. Stephanie’s castle is practically like a block of cube, solidified and square-rish. On top of the cube was a mountain of sand shaped like a circular-triangle.

“There! Now the prince can enter the castle!” Stephanie giggled at her playmate’s comment. She looked over to Taeyeon’s sand sculpture.

“What is that?” Stephanie tilted her head slightly to the right with her right eyebrow raised while pointing her index finger at Taeyeon’s sand sculpture.

“This? This is mushroom house!” Taeyeon reached forward and pick up the tip of Stephanie’s hair while commenting. “Just like your hair!”

They both giggled and laughed at each other sand sculpture, destroying and building it all over again.

“Stephanie, why is your name so long?”

“I don’t know? My parents nameed me Stephanie.”

“Can I shorten your name? Just like ‘Taetae’.”

“If it is nice, then I will accept it.”

“How about Steph?”

“That’s what my daddy calls me.”

“Your daddy? Then it’s not special! I must think of something special just like ‘Taetae’!”

Taeyeon went into deep thoughts with her legs opened into a shape of an oval and her sand sculptures concealed within the boundaries of her legs. She crossed one of her arm and the other supporting the weight of her head.

“I got it!”

“what is it?”

“Shall I call you mushroom?! You really look like one.” Taeyeon let out a siren of laughter. Stephanie returned it with a pout.

“You! Bad Taetae. Bad Taetae!”

“I’m good, mushroom. I’m a good girl.”

“I’m a good girl too.”

“Yes, you are. You are a good mushroom!”

Stephanie leap off her foot, launch off her body towards the other girl’s body.

“YAH! I’m not a mushroom!” she stretched out both her arms, trying to grab Taeyeon’s body.

“Yes you are! Ne-ne-ni-pu-pu!” Taeyeon stick out her tongue and with both her thumbs attached to her cheeks as Stephanie failed to grab her. She spring off and ran.

“Bad Taetae. Mean Taetae!” she too, spring off and chased after her new-named-playmate.

“Come catch me, mushroom!”

Stephanie’s new nickname triggered and motivated her more to catch her playmate. But before she could catch her, the other body was on the floor. She tripped over. She ran to Taeyeon’s side and showered her with concern. Taeyeon was actually fine after the fall, but she didn’t want Stephanie to catch her. Therefore, she acted like she was unconscious after the fall to trick Stephanie.

“Are you okay Taetae?” “Where did it hurt?” “Can you walk?” Worried that Taeyeon was in too much pain to reply her, Stephanie got up, wanting to call for a teacher’s help.

Just when Stephanie got up and walked a few step, Taeyeon opened her mouth and shouted “Mushroom!” Stephanie was startled by Taeyeon’s sudden outburst. She glanced over to look at the other girl.

“Are you okay? Should I go call for a teacher?” Stephanie said while walking rushing forward to the other girls.

“I’m fine! See! ” Taeyeon hopped around the spot for a good 30seconds to convince Stephanie that she is unhurt from the fall before launching off, “you can’t catch me!”

“Yah! You! I will catch you bad Taetae!”

Stephanie chased around the backyard to catch Taeyeon for about half an hour, before Taeyeon surrendered herself because she was too tired from all the running and chasing. Stephanie ran up to Taeyeon to close up the gap between the 2 girls.

“Mushroom, you finally caught me.”

Episode 2 – Past

“Hi Taetae!”

“Hi Stephanie! You are finally here. I’m bored. No one is playing with me.”

“Here I am now. My daddy was busy so he was late when fetching me here. “

“Why does your daddy fetch you to school? My mum does it. My daddy is always at work.”

Stephanie is unable to answer her playmate’s question. Images of her mother surfaced in her mind and soon, she was mesmerizing the moment she shared with her mother.

[i] We were at the beach celebrating my mother’s birthday. My father booked a room at the beach resort so that we can spend a day together watching the sunset and barbeque. I was my first time there because my father hardly spent any time with me because of his busy work. When it is the daytime, I am awake but he is away with work. When it is the nighttime, he would return home after I sleep. The only time I can see him was when he worked at home during Sundays. I cannot understand why he loves working so much; maybe he just doesn’t like me. That’s what I thought. Therefore, I was very happy and excited that for the first time, after I was born for six years, I can finally spend my time with my mother and my father, as a family.

Evening is nearing, so my father went to set-up the BBQ pit and my mother preparing the ingredients for it. I wanted to help but both my parents were afraid that I will be a trouble-maker and ruin the BBQ.

“Don’t touch this. You might get hurt Steph!”

“No no steph! You go outside and play okay? It’s too dangerous here.”

After all, I was infamous for my carelessness. I got bored so I wonder off to the beach and played on my own with the sand. It was around 5 in the evening by then.

“Stephanie! Where are you going? Don’t wonder too far okay? “

“Yes mummy! I won’t “

While I was building sandcastles, I noticed a shining piece of seashell by the shore. It glittered and shined like a star. I walked upwards, tempted to pick it up and present it to my mother as her birthday gift.

“I bet she will love it!” I thought to myself.

When I took it up, I found another shiny seashell and picked it up.

“Now I have, 2 of them!”

There was actually a trail of shiny seashells after I picked up the second one. So I followed the trail until there was none in sight. But little did I know, I walked to far away from my parents’ vision and now, I’m all alone on the beach. The night is darkening each second, and I’m scared, extremely scared.

“I want my mummy”

I cried as I ran, shouting “Mummy!” “Mummy where are you?”. I was panting hard. I looked around me and the surroundings are still unfamiliar to me. I sobbed harder and cried my lungs out. I slammed my body down on the sand patch.

“Maybe if I stay still, mummy will find me. Just like when I play hide-and-seek with mummy.”

I consoled myself and stared upon the night sky. There are plenty of stars that illuminates through the dark sky. Soon the tiredness took over my body and I fell asleep.

“Steph! Steph! Oh god. Please be okay!” I was awaken by the continuous bumping against my body; my daddy was carrying me in his arms running.

“Daddy?” this is the only word I managed to mumble as a rub my eyes to see where I was. I did not have any water or food for the past hours. It was dawn by now.

“Thank god you are okay Steph! Thank god.” He slowed down and kneeled over, letting me off his arms. He checked my body if I’m okay. I looked around but I couldn’t find the person I was looking for.

“Where is mummy?”

“Mummy? Mummy is… mummy is at the hospital. Let’s hurry.” He finished his sentence and loaded me on his back and piggybacked me to his car.

We arrived at the hospital and went directly to the ward that my mother was at. But, my mummy wasn’t there.

My daddy rushed to the receptionist and asked about the whereabouts of my mummy before we made a dash to another part of the hospital. The walkways were quieter and more spacious compared to the other ward I was before. While my eyes were gazing at the new surrounding, my daddy pulled me closer to him before hailing a stop before a ward. From there, we were greeted by a person wearing a white robe, which I suppose is the doctor. He and my daddy exchanged comments before my daddy face hardened. I can’t figure out what they was saying, maybe they are using jargons or I’m too short to catch any words. So I stood there still, looking upwards to check on my daddy’s face expression. Shortly after that, the doctor patted on the crown of my head and headed out. My eyes are fixed on my daddy’s face, I knew something was wrong. I pulled my daddy’s sleeve, trying to get his attention to me.

“Daddy. What is wrong with mummy?”

“She, she is fine baby. She just needs her rest. She will be fine in no time. Let me send you back home first. Come on.”

I tugged closer to my daddy. My instinct is telling me that; things are not that simple and surely enough, I was right. After a few months, my mummy passed away. I went straight into the depression stage. I was miserable and lost and eventually, I became introvert. [/i]

“Stephanie? Are you still there? Do you always space out?” Taeyeon was sounding concerned for her playmate.

“I’m here, always here. I’m just thinking about some things.”

“Let’s play soccer! Com’on!” Taeyeon say to her playmate and dragged her of the sand ground before she can say anything.

Episode 1 - Friends

Year 1995

Parents have the obligations to ensure that their children receive the best in all aspects, in food, living and education. Therefore, they spent most of their time working hard to earn money, in order to provide the best for their children. Hence, they spent lesser and lesser time in taking care of their children, and that’s why, childcare services are blooming in these years.

There is this child-care center located in the eastern area of South Korea, Joah Childcare Centre. It was one of the most established childcare centers and many parents trust that they can bring up their children in the best way. Parents would drive in and drop their children before their work and pick them up after their work, every weekday. It is a cycle. Parents would kiss their children goodbyes and leave after their children disappear behind the gates.

Mommy, I’m sad here. A mushroom-hair girl teared as she sat alone at the backyard of the centre, alone. She is left out because of her poor Korean and her pronunciations. On top of that, she is mother-less. Her mother died a year before because of a heart attack. Since then, she became very introvert and reserved. The other teachers would encourage the other children to play with her, but all ended up in fights; hair pulling and crying. The kids would return to their usual self and mock at her while they are playing and having fun. That is why she spent most of her time at the backyard, playing and building sand castles. Things started to get better as a new girl enrolled into Joah.

“Hello. I’m Taeyeon. Can I play with you? The other kids wouldn’t play with me because I’m new and” she paused a while, looking at the ground while swaying her upper body before finishing her sentence, “short”.

The other girl looked up at the new person and stood up. “I’m Stephanie.” she held the other girl’s hand and pulls it down as she sit on the sand floor.

“Let’s build sand castle together.” Stephanie smiled as her eyes turn into the shape of a crescent.

“Okay!” Taeyeon was excited as she had found her new playmate.

That was the moment when two lonely souls met and became friends.

“Why are you playing alone at the backyard?”

“It’s because no one wants to play with me.” Sadness filled the words.

“I’m here Stephanie. So I will play with you.”

A frown on the girl’s face is quickly replaced with an eye-smile.

“How did you do that!?”

“How do I do what?”

“That! That smile. I want it too. Teach me!” Taeyeon said and attempted to mould her smile into the eye-smile that Stephanie has shown earlier with her index fingers. It was a pure entertainment of dorky-ness for Stephanie.

“It’s my genes. I got it from…” Stephanie stumbled with her words and finished with “my mother.”

“It’s pretty! I’m sad. Why doesn't my mummy smiled like that too?” Taeyeon attempted a few times of that smile but it was miserable. It looked as though she was suffering from constipation. She was waiting for a reply from Stephanie but no words came out of her mouth. Stephanie was spacing out with her hands moving randomly on the sand pile.

“Stephanie? Are you there?” Taeyeon poked the other girl’s waist and sounds of giggles escaped Stephanie’s lips.

“Why did you do that for?” Stephanie managed to complete her statement with gaps of giggling as Taeyeon continued her tickling attack.

“It is because you are not answering me?”

“Okay okay! I will answer you now. Please stop. Ha. Ha. Ha.”

Taeyeon withdrew her hands to her side and look at Stephanie.

“You have not called my name yet, Stephanie. Try calling me.”

“Taekwon? I’m not really good in Korean.”

“It’s Taeyeon”

“Teyeon?”

“No no. TAE-YEON”

“Can I call you Taetae? It’s easier that way.”

“Taetae? Alright alright, only for now. Practice my name at home okay?”

“I will Taetae!” once again, an eye smiled is formed on Stephanie’s face.

They molded and shaped the sand into castles and bridges. That moment passed so fast that for the first time, Stephanie was unwillingly to return home when her daddy was there to fetch her.

“Daddy, daddy. I don’t want to go home. I want to play with Taetae. Pleaseeeeeee” she dragged her last word while exploding her cuteness.

“You will be back tomorrow, darling. Now say goodbye to your new friend and tell her that you will see her tomorrow. Go on darling” he slightly pushed her daughter forward and signaled her to say goodbye.

“Taetae? My daddy is here. We will play together tomorrow right?” she needs to be ensured that Taeyeon is returning tomorrow so that they would play together, again.

“Yes Stephanie. I will see you tomorrow!” Taeyeon replied her new playmate’s question with enthusiasm.

Feeling assured, Stephanie waved her right hands above her head high towards Taeyeon while her father held her left hand, walking towards their car.

Prologue

We sealed this promise between us, both of us.

A promise should be fulfilled and honored; not broken and empty.

We stamped this promise with our pinkies, which someday, we would meet again.

We’ve made a Promise.

Opening

this blog is created for my fanfics.

because i've lost all my soft copy for my previous fanfic. so i should post it somewhere,

some where that no one can reads and somewhere that i trust. so here it is.

:)