Chapter 1: Plant your own garden

Blooming gardens provide a backdrop to all breathtaking sceneries.

Beautiful drive ways heading to thousands of natural rendezvous are savoured in sweet scent of blossom.

Almost half of world's apples are produced here, along with apricots, plums, cherries and pears.

This is Papunika under the reign of Queen Leona. This is a kingdom of the most sophisticated, the most elegant, also, the most popular place for greatest heroes to gather for a short while before they will move on to next chapters.

After twenty five minutes of being late, Pop finally shows up.

"We would have some privacy here." Marm asks Pop to sit down next to her.

"Privacy?" Blood is rushing inside Pop. "Marm... this is a public area."

"It's less crowded, so we can talk..."

"Oh I see, you want to talk!" He smiles at himself.

"Yes I do." Marm takes out the engagement ring and places it on her palm. "I have thought carefully about our marriage... I can't marry you. I'm sorry." Her voice is tense. The conversation won't end in a good terms, Maam know.

"What?" As expected, Pop is rather shocked. "Do you mean to have more time to persuade Mrs Rella? We can put the wedding on hold. I'm sure Menruru will support..."

"My mom doesn't involve in the decision. It's made on my own."

"One day you are being honest and the other day, you change your mind. Have you thought carefully this time?" Pop eyes on Maam. Knowing Maam for four years before they reach this unbelievable stage, there are plenty of questions he still have.

"Yes." She nods without hesitation.

"Fine. Cancel the wedding." He takes the ring and stands up. Pop is furious, yet he is doing the best to control his temper.

"I'm very sorry, Pop, I will..."

"Stop saying sorry. This is not a game. Why do you withdraw at this stage?"

"This is not a game for me neither."

"Then shall I know why?"

"I don't feel right about you, Menru and I getting married."

"I know you can get jealous..."

Maam sighs. "I'm not. I love seeing you and Menru together. So this it not

about jealousy at all. Pop, this is about me don't fit into your and Menru's family."

"Menru likes you alot. She really wants to have a sister."

"I know you and Menru can't wait to build the family together. I know the plan of you guys, but I seldom exist in that plan."

"You are always a part of our plan. After the wedding we all will move to Menru's hometown in Teran. That's the greenest place on earth and we can work on social projects. Maam, you love helping people, you will love our plans."

"But I have another plan. I'm working for Romos. And I have been missing my mom, my village. My plan is to go back to my hometown and take care of mom."

"You work as a trade embassador for Romos and you don't like this job at all." Pop yells at her. "Ofcourse we can visit Romos and take care of Mrs Rella. Settling in Teran is a permanent thing because Teran is the most undeveloped kingdom, people need our helps there the most."

"I can't agree more. Go ahead with your plan, Pop. But I'm outside everything you are building for your family. I have told you to give me time for my answer, I can tell you my answer now."

"Your answer was Yes and now you withdraw without giving me any alert. This is unfair."

"Not that answer."

"Then which one?"

"When you confessed to me in Makai castle, I told you I would give you my answer when the war is over. Remember?"

"Ehh... I think that answer is a Yes, too? Since you agree to travel with Menruru and me. And... you don't move on with... Hyunkel."

"The answer will be yes when I say yes. I... haven't said anything yet."

"Wow... I didn't realise.." Pop murmurs to himself. He walks to Marm and on a bent knee, he holds her hands, "Almost four years, that's the length of time I have been loving you, Marm."

She nods. "You love Menruru, too. Pop, you can't marry two women."

"Yes, I love Menruru, too. I feel very happy spending time with her. Sorry that I overlook your feeling." He is still holding her hands tightly. "So this is about jealousy, in the end."

Maam takes a deep breath. "No. There is no jealousy. I don't love you."

He shakes his head. "If you don't love me, why do you worry so much about me?"

"You are my best friend from the beginning. I have even taken you as my bro-"

"No, don't say brother." He interupts.

"Ok." Maam step a step backward. "I think I should leave now. There is no more thing I would like to say."

"Don't go." He holds her hand tightly. "Can we... can we have a kiss ? Please."

A Kiss? Marm is surprised, unable to figure out how to response such a sudden request.

In her dream, she has kissed another person. Blood rushes to Marm's face when the image of that person comes to her mind.

Can't wait for Marm's answer, Pop stands up and places a kiss out of sudden.

To his surprise, Marm's body is stiff just as her lips. Moments passed by and her lips are closed, she has no reaction. She shows no interest. He feels ashamed.

"Sorry, so.. so sorry." Pop quickly gets up. He finds himself in an awkward situation.

"Pop, please keep the ring." In the end, Marm repeats.

He picks it up from the grass and quietly leaves the place.

MARM'S SIDE

"Are you fine, Marm?" Leona asks. Sitting next to her is Menruru. Both looks worried.

"I am. No worry about me. How is Pop now?"

"Not too bad." Menru says, trying to be sarcastic. Menruru would like to stand for Pop, however, she can't stop caring for Marm.

"Sorry, Menru."

"Don't be. Pop is just not expected the change in your decision."

"Nobody can expect this, my dear." Leona looks at Marm. "but to be honest, guys, I think the marriage is less complicated now."

"I understand." Menru agrees. "I'm here to see if Marm is fine because I don't know the reason of the cancellation. I'm...I'm not here to blame Marm."

"You can blame me, Menruru." Marm embraces her beautiful doed-eyes friend.

"I cannot and I won't." Menruru smiles. "I don't understand why do you make this decision but I don't get angry at you. I'm glad you are fine, Marm. Now I have to go back to take care of Pop."

Seeing Menruru's calmness, Marm is more justified that Menruru and Pop are perfect for each other.

"It's good to be honest to your feeling." Leona tells Marm after Menru has left. "From now on, I hope he will love Menru fully."

Marm knows what Leona says is correct. Feeling so tired, she leans on Leona's shoulder and admits, "I did a bad job in handling my relationships."

"Hyunkel is very concerned about you. On the contrary, Avan sensei and Fufu are taking it fairly... well."

Marm's cheeks turn red. "Hyunkel? Did he say anything?"

"I see now." Leona looks at Marm with a surprise, "You are not over Hyunkel, are you?"

The Queen of Papunika has already known the answer.

"If you are not over Hyunkel, you must not marry Pop, definitely. In my opinion, you and Hyunkel can really make a great couple! Even Avan sensei knows that you are his precious." Leona giggles.

"Sensei is wrong. Emmi is already there."

"Emmi is different."

"She is. She is his girlfriend and I'm not. Hyunkel means alot to me, but I can't support his relationship."

Leona sighs and slightly shakes her head. "You will never support Hyunkel's relationship, either it's with Emmi or not. Then why don't you confess to him and makes everything clear?"

Marm keeps quiet even she looks very unhappy. This girl.. Leona thinks, can't believe she is such a shrinking violet.

"Don't be in a friend zone for too long if you don't see him as a friend. I have known Emmi since I was a teenager. She is an action person. She would like to move in with him."

"Move in...? So they have been living together?" Marm feels an immediate heartbreak inside. But on the contrary she doesn't remember seeing Emmi's belongings when she stayed in Hyunkel's house last night.

"Are you freaked out? I only said that she would like to. Fortunately for you, he doesn't agree." Leona smiles, "This means he doesn't see the relationship the way she does."

"Really?"

"Or perhaps he is a traditional person. He would like to marry her before living with her."

"I don't think Hyunkel is a traditional person."

"See? You know many things about him. Your border has way exceeded the friendzone .." Leona wraps her arm around Marm and smiles, "I'm just making an assumption. We all know Hyunkel has been in this relationship with Emmi for about a month. Nothing serious may happen between them. Marm, you should decide what to tell him and what's not. Human feelings are important, be kind to yours."

So you plant your own garden, and decorate your own soul.

In stead of waiting, for someone to bring you flowers.

Leona would like to inspire Marm this way, sincerely.

HYUNKEL'S SIDE

"She said she would try, she said Yes to my proposal, now she is the one who cancelled the wedding. Marm is a freaking idiot!" Pop finishes the beers and asks for more. He is releasing the grief in a pub where they are the regular, himself, Hyunkel and Larhalt.

"You have been in her friendzone for too long." Larhalt is very supportive the whole night, kindly listens to Pop and maintains the long, repeated conversation.

"I have already told her we are not friends!"

"It can be worse than being friends, she may take you as a brother."

"Who wants to be her brother? Damn her!"

Hyunkel has heard enough of it. "Don't talk about her that way."

"What's your problem?"

"He is drunk." Larhalt reminds Hyunkel.

"She is not an idiot. She did try her best to fulfill your request. Stop scolding her."

"If there is anybody who disturbs our relationship, it can only be you."

"Hyunkel, don't take it seriously." Leona drags him to her side, making a distance from Pop.

"He is always a maniac to Marm. You should have seen the way he was all over Marm. If he looks at a girl that way how can she resist?"

Hyunkel and Leona hear what Pop is saying clearly.

"The way I look at Marm? Have I stared at her body like you do?" Except last night. Hyunkel is angry.

"Why doesn't Marm make a friendzone of him? Why doesn't she take him as her brother? Why am I not as tall as him and as handsome as him? Why does it have to be me! Life is soooo unfair!" Pop sobs and screams and continues with the drink.

"He is drunk and heartbroken. Don't take whatever he says seriously. He has loved Marm for more than four years." Leona turns to Hyunkel.

Looking at Pop who is hopelessly sucking the beer bottle like a mad man, Hyunkel decides to approach.

"Marm was very upset yesterday when making this decision. This is not the way you want, but it doesn't mean you are not important for her. For sure you are a great person in her life."

"How do you know?" Pop asks.

"I was at your position before."

"How can someone like you be at my position? Marm likes you so much that she will never say No to you. That idiot has a double standard!"

Hyunkel wants to tell Pop he loves Marm more than his life. But love isn't always a mutual feeling and they can't force Marm into anything. As a man, they need to be respectful to her decision.

In the end he doesn't speak a word, for he knows it's of no use, Pop is drunk.

Somehow he is sure everything is going to be fine. With Pop and Marm's relationship they will not unfriend each other for a life time.

"So, do you love Marm?" Leona asks him out of sudden. The smile of Papunika Queen is cunning.

"It's impossible to not love her." Hyunkel admits. "I don't plan to let Marm knows, so don't tell her anything."

Leona's eyes are opened-wide. She doesn't expect such a straight forward answer.

-End Chapter 1.