Thirteen years later.
Twenty-year-old Solbin was walking along the seashore, admiring the sunset. Her thoughts revolved around the man she had recently split up with. She was heartbroken and still couldn't get it together. The man she trusted most in the world, whom she loved more than life, had cheated on her with her best friend, and she caught them in the act.
She still couldn't believe it.
Yuna, behind her back, was seducing someone with whom Solbin had been in a relationship for more than three years. The two of them had stabbed her in the heart one day.
- I lost five years to a fake friend and three years to a worthless loser," she muttered under her breath as she stood still. She crossed her arms over her chest and watched as the sun disappeared behind the horizon.
This was the first vacation she had spent alone. She loved Jeju Island, the place could relax her. Occasionally, she even dreamed of living here once she finished her studies.
She looked at her phone, which had started to ring. She snorted under her breath and immediately rejected the call when she recognized that it was Yoongi's number. Furthermore, she had nothing more to discuss with him, so for the sake of sanity, she finally blocked it.
She looked over her shoulder when a child's joyful laughter reached her ears. A young couple was walking on the beach, holding the little girl's hands. A handsome man and a beautiful woman, they looked incredibly happy. This was betrayed by their laughing faces. From a distance, one could see the love between them and how much they loved their child.
Solbin felt a slight sting in her heart as she thought that Yoongi was the man for the rest of her life. She wanted to create a family with him, in her head she had laid out a plan for their future, and one day it was all so cruelly torn to pieces.
She would like to meet a man who would love her as she is and not seek comfort in another woman.
A startled cry broke from her lips as she felt something pressed against her leg. Wide-eyed, she fixed her eyes on the little girl who was hugging her.
- Mira! - The girl with red hair ran up to her daughter and tried to pick her up, but the little girl refused to let go of Solbin's leg. - Mira, what are you doing? Let go of the lady immediately.
The young woman laughed heartily as the girl lifted her face and sent her a sweet smile. She looked like an angel.
- She is adorable," she turned to the young woman, who looked embarrassed by the behavior of the three-year-old. Solbin only got the impression from up close, as if she had already seen her somewhere. - Sorry to ask this, but have we never met before? Your face looks familiar.
The girl with red hair stuck a puzzled look at Solbin.
- Actually... the lady also looks somehow familiar.
A bright light came on in the brown-haired girl's head as she remembered that this was a person she had met as a child at a campground. These were events she never forgot.
- Ara, right? We met thirteen years ago at that ill-fated campsite, when we were kidnapped by a crazy woman.
The redhead put her hands to her mouth, looking shaken.
- You're right.... Solbin, do I remember correctly?
Both girls broke into laughter. The man who had accompanied Ara so far approached them.
- This is my husband, Seokjin. I don't know if you remember, but that day he was also there with us.
The brown-haired woman looked at the man.
- Your face I don't remember so well. Probably because we spent much less time in each other's company....
- That's true," he confirmed.
- It's wonderful to meet after so many years since that nightmarish day. Solbin, do you have time? We were just going out to eat, and it would be nice if you joined us," Ara suggested.
- I would love to. I'm here alone and have no plans.
Seokjin took his unruly daughter in his arms, who had been accosting Solbin the whole time. She stared at her like a picture, which the girl's parents found amusing.
- I think she liked you.
- I think so," confirmed the gray-haired girl, looking at the little one with a smile on her face. - She is adorable.
She thought so at the time... She had no idea that it was a devil in human skin.
*
The three-year-old looked pleased as Solbin sat at the table with her parents. They talked about that day, trying to explain what really happened.
- The funniest thing is that no one wanted us to believe that Seokjina's aunt was possessed by a witch," Ara stated, putting a small bite in her mouth.
- She was a shaman, so they concluded that she was a crazy woman and messed with our heads. Well, yes. Who would believe a kid's tale about a witch? - Jin shook his head, wiping his daughter's mouth.
Solbin looked at them carefully.
- You were unconscious, but when I woke up first, we were in glass coffins.
- We regained consciousness only at the hospital. The doctor said that we had been given a sleeping agent, although apparently he himself could not explain it rationally, since there was nothing in our blood.
The brown-haired woman rested her hands on the table-top.
- This indeed sounds absurd, but only we know the truth. We and the kidnapped boy who was there with us.
- Nevertheless, I'm happy that the incident happened because thanks to it, I met this fantastic guy," announced Ara, taking her husband's hand. Seokjin smiled at her with love in his eyes, and Solbin felt a stab of jealousy. - After that day, my parents took care of him. He had no family, and they didn't want him to end up in an orphanage.
Solbin was sure that they must have fallen madly in love with each other, since they had a three-year-old daughter at such a young age.
- That's true, but when you became pregnant, your father felt like killing me and throwing me out of the house.
- He would never do that. He always treated you like a son. Now you are his beloved son-in-law, since he appointed you a director in the company after you graduated.
The brown-haired woman sipped her juice, glancing at Mire out of the corner of her eye. She could have sworn that the girl let go of her two eyes.
This child amazed her more and more.
- Solbin, I hope our contact doesn't break off after today. It would be nice if we met more than once during lunch or over a drink.
- A drink," repeated Mira, laughing happily. Seokjin put his finger to his lips, showing the girl that it was a word not to be repeated.
- I'd love to. If you give me your number, I think we can find time, living even in distant cities.
- We live in Seoul daily, and you?
- Really? That's fantastic. I live there, too.
The girls exchanged numbers, and Seokjin kept telling the child not to learn words from her mother because a monster would come and kidnap her.
- I'm glad we were able to meet after thirteen years," Ara declared, signing Solbin's number with her name.
- So am I. I'm pleased," she said.
The brown-haired woman needed new friends after being hurt by her best friend and boyfriend. She hoped that maybe in time they could even become friends.
That would be wonderful.
*
After returning to Seoul, Solbin hurried to a job interview in the morning. She received a call from a grocery store that required part-time people, preferably students. As luck would have it, she forgot to set her alarm clock and overslept that day.
It was a good thing her dad had the day off, and she could borrow a car from him. She hoped not to hit any traffic jam on the way, but something much worse happened. She was reaching for the ringing phone when she didn't notice that the light had changed, and she drove into the back of a luxury Mercedes.
- My father will kill me," she said in a whisper, wide-eyed as she watched a young man get out of the Mercedes. Dressed in a navy-blue suit, the handsome brunet showed her with a motion of his hand to exit the vehicle.
Her heart was pounding like crazy with fear. Not only had she lost her job opportunity, but moreover, she had wrecked her father's car and was dealing with a rich man.
- I'm truly sorry, sir. I admit that it was due to my inadvertence. I was reaching for the phone and... - she began to explain as soon as she got out of the car. She thought the man would jump on her and start threatening her, but he turned out to be a very nice guy who told her to calm down.
- Calm down, it can happen to anyone. It's just a bump. Don't be so nervous," he announced, sending her a cheerful smile.
That smile made Solbin feel like she was having familiarity at that moment. He seemed so familiar to her...
- I damaged your car, so how can I not be nervous? - she asked in a trembling voice. - My father will kill me," she added, combing her hair back.
- Really, please calm down because we won't settle anything this way," he turned to her in a calm voice, then with his hand he presented her with the back of the Mercedes. - Nothing serious has happened to it. It only has a light scratch. This is no problem for me. Your car is in a worse situation, so I'm not going to report it to the insurance company. Let's call the police and tell them that we will come to an agreement ourselves. I would rather not stretch you for costs. I know what the situation is because I once did the same thing. Only that my hit was so hard that the man's half of the back of the car fell off and there was no agreement," he added in an amused voice.
Solbin at least calmed down a little.
- Can you really do that? - She asked in a puzzled voice. She had to admit that this man was an angel. On the one hand, she was probably lucky that it was him she drove into, and not some envious bully. - In that case, let's call the police.
- There is one catch... - he added, dragging.
Solbin became stressed for a moment.
- What catch?
- As compensation, you will take me to lunch.
It seemed to her that at some point her heart stopped beating. She looked at him with wide-open eyes, unable to believe that this was offered to her by such a cool and, moreover, unearthly handsome guy, to whom she had damaged the car.
- I will do anything for you because I am idiotic for causing this accident.
She watched him as he pulled out his phone and called the police, reporting the accident. At the time, she had no idea that this was how she ended up with the man who was meant for her. He was the one with whom she was connected by a wonderful, adventurous love.
He was the man she was destined to start a family with.
- I am Jungkook," he said, extending his hand to her. His smile was captivating.
- Solbin," she replied, reciprocating the hug.
You didn't have to live in a witch's novel to meet your destiny and live a fairy tale. It's best if you can arrange your life by making your own decisions. In the end, every man had his destiny, and love came unexpectedly and with great flair.
Fairy tales are for children, but the witches in them get away with being evil characters for a reason....
And one of them was alive again, reborn in the body of a small creature, and watched the lives of her favorite characters with a smile on her face.