The Love That Remains

Wang Mei and Fang Aisa's friendship was decided before they are even born. They met when they are toddlers. Ever since then, Wang Mei has been following Fang Aisa around. When Grandfather Wang met Little Aisa, he snorted and declared "Another one of that devil woman."

The devil lady in question was no other than Grandmother Fang.

It's well known in Fang and Wang families that Grandfather Fang hates Grandmother Wang and Grandfather Wang hates Grandmother Fang. The reason remains a mystery to this date. Though, Grandfather Fang and Grandfather Wang are good friends. Just like that, Fang Aisa and Wang Mei have also inherited that friendship.

One can doubt the relationship between the same bloods, but the friendship between Grandmother Fang and Grandmother Wang was thicker than blood. Even after Grandmother Fang died, Grandmother Wang treats Little Aisa like her true granddaughter. She loves her even more than she loves her real grandchildren.

However, Wang Ying Ying never likes Fang Aisa. Wang Mei never understands why. Wang Ying Ying and Wang Mei are identical twins. Though they have the same faces, their temperaments are polar apart.

Wang Ying Ying is as beautiful as a fairy. Her image is pure and feminine, unlike the fiery and tomboyish Wang Mei. To sum up her image, Wang Ying Ying is the traditional white lotus. She is not much different from Sung Jun. Even her father and mother are not aware of her true personality.

Despite the differences between the two sisters, they are actually quite protective of each other. Wang Mei beats up any 'predator' that try to eye her 'docile' sister while Wang Ying Ying deals with her angry father and her distressed mother who are worried about 'delinquent' Wang Mei's future.

On that day, Wang Ying Ying is taking her 'beauty' nap when Wang Mei suddenly barges in not so quietly.

"What do you want, Mei Mei?"

"YiYi, there is an emergency."

Wang Ying Ying narrows her grey eyes. She wonders how her twin angers their parents this time. Wang Ying Ying shakes her head slowly.

"Yi Yi, it's about Aisa," Wang Mei divulges slowly when she sees that her twin has no intention of helping her this time.

"What?" Wang Ying Ying's face twists after she hears her twin. Wang Mei and Fang Aisa are close friends. They are closer than the twin sisters. Wang Ying Ying is sometimes jealous of their relationship, but she knows her limits.

"I have hurt her." Wang Mei breaks into tears. When she finishes speaking, Wang Ying Ying is slapping her younger twin's head.

"How could you hurt the Fang's nose?" Wang Ying Ying yells, "The FANG NOSE!"

Wang Mei covers her mouth to stop her from screaming. Heavens knows that Wang Mei would never hurt Fang Aisa intentionally. Even in her dreams, Wang Mei can never hurt Fang Aisa.

"Don't scream. What if Grandma hears us?" Wang Mei pleads with her twin to calm down. Wang Ying Ying starts to take deep breaths to calm down. She glares at Wang Mei like she is her mortal enemy.

Wang Mei knows that her twin never likes Fang Aisa.

There was a time when Wang Ying Ying wanted to befriend Fang Aisa, but Fang Aisa was always cold and aloof to her. There was one time when she left Wang Ying Ying and Fang Aisa alone together in the playroom. When she returned, Wang Ying Ying has already left and Fang Aisa was leisurely reading the comic book alone. To this day, Wang Ying Ying never approaches Fang Aisa. She evades her like a plague. Wang Ying Ying even avoids looking at Fang Aisa. Wang Mei often wonders what Fang Aisa did to her twin sister that day.

"Oh my god!" Wang Ying Ying buries her fingers in her smooth and silky ink black hair. "She will kill us."

"Who?" Seeing that her twin is more scared than her, Wang Mei's head clears a bit.

"She is the devil girl." Wang Ying Ying starts to panic. "How could you? You are her friend. How could you make this mistake?"

Now, Wang Mei is very curious what Fang Aisa did to her twin.

"Please, don't get angry Grandma Fang!" Wang Ying Ying looks up at the ceiling and prays.

"We will fix her nose. I promise that I will fix her nose and punish my little sister."

Wang Mei gulps.

"Go and ask about her situation. Don't say a word to anyone else. Ask Granny Lan to not say anything to anyone."

Just like that, the twins start the emergency 'FIX FANG NOSE' operation.

Wang Mei nods and runs out of the house. She wants to cry when she hears Granny Lan say that Aisa doesn't want to meet her. Wang Mei is scared, ashamed and sad. She's scared because her grandmother will skin her alive if she finds out that Wang Mei hurt Aisa. She's sad because her friend is clearly angry with her. She is extremely ashamed of what she did.

"She has a scar on her nose. I hope it goes away." Grandma Lan doesn't understand Wang Mei's worries. She is worried about the scar, but not like Wang Mei.

Wang Mei says goodbye to her life. Wang Mei runs back to her sister and tells her about the scar. Wang Ying Ying starts sobbing and acts like her twin is already dead.

"YiYi, stop crying and tell me." Wang Mei points at her sister's vanity table. "Don't you have any magic cream or powder?"

Wang Ying Ying feels that her twin is not as dumb as she thinks. She does have a scar removal cream. It is an expensive cream. But compared to this catastrophe, it is nothing. She gives that cream to Wang Mei gladly and asks her to deliver it to Granny Lan.

Wang Mei does that exactly. Granny Lan is surprised to see that cream.

"Actually," Granny Lan informs to the red-headed sweaty girl. "I am already using this cream on her. The scar is barely visible, but it is still there."

After that, Granny Lan leaves with an excuse that she needs to prepare dinner.

Wang Mei starts crying. She has no idea what to do. Her best friend refuses to meet her. Her sister is acting like she is dead. She has not faced her grandma yet. On top of that, why does she always meet the 'culprit' whenever she runs to Aisa's house? Why is he always here?

"I stay there." The 'culprit' points at the neighborhood building. "My flat number is 523."

"Aisa got hurt because of you." Wang Mei gnashes her teeth. "She's mad at me because of you."

"Let me remind you again. It wasn't my foot that broke her nose." The 'culprit' denies the blames shamelessly. "It was you who jumped to conclusions and decided to kick my head. I don't want to imagine my fate if your foot had found its mark."

"You would be slightly broken in the head." Wang Mei rolls her eyes. "You might have turned into an idiot. But, you are already an idiot. It wouldn't be waste anyway."

The 'culprit' shrugs. "It's still your fault."

Wang Mei can't refuse his words. It is indeed her foot that gave her the scar.

"I am going to die." Wang Mei sits down on the road. "I deserve to die. I hurt my best friend."

The 'culprit' wants to laugh. He holds it in to keep his 'gentleman' image. He sits down next to sobbing Wang Mei.

"We should come here every day and show our sincerity. We will ask for her forgiveness. Maybe Granny Lan will convince her to meet us. Let's work hard together."

Wang Mei sees a ray of hope. Since that day, Wang Mei and the 'culprit' comes twice a day. They often brought sweets and fruits. After a week, Granny Lan finally softens to the two young 'sincere' friends of Fang Aisa and convinces her to meet them.

___

"Young Miss, how are you feeling now?" Granny Lan examines my nose. The wound is healed and leaving a faint scar on the bridge of my nose.

Grandma Lan has been with my grandmother for more than thirty years. After my grandmother passed away, she took care of me. This house is left to me by my grandmother after she died. There are only Granny Lan and me living here. Granny Lan's son works at my grandfather's place. In my past life, Granny Lan was the only one who never left my side. Granny Lan passed way when I was twenty-three. At that time, I went abroad for a business deal. I found out after I came back. Nobody informed me of her demise when I was away.

I have a lot of regrets.

"Granny, I am okay."

"Young miss, they are here again." Granny Lan informs me.

It's been two weeks. I didn't go back to school after that day. My broken nose gave me an excuse to stay at home. Wang Mei and Sung Jun have been visiting every day for the past two weeks, but I refused to meet them every day.

I don't want to see their faces ever again. I don't know what I will do or say if I meet them.

"I don't want to see them, Granny Lan."

"I know what they did, young miss." Granny Lan strokes my hair gently. "You should not be angry with them anymore. It was an accident."

In my past life, Granny Lan never stopped worrying about me. After Wang Mei refused to meet me, she often saw me crying. After I decided to chase Sung Jun to K country, she supported me despite my grandfather's anger. Granny Lan was the only one who stood beside me until her death.

"All right." I give in. I didn't want her to worry about me anymore. In this life, I will treasure her. "I will meet them."

I change into a loose white shirt and blue denim. In the reflection, I have an oval face, some fat on my cheeks and a faint scar on the bridge of my straight nose. My grandmother told me once that I inherited the fang nose. My great-grandfather, my grandfather, my father and I have the same straight and high nose. However, that's where the resemblance ends. My grandmother never talked about my mother. I don't know who she is. I don't know whether she is dead or alive. She is a taboo topic in the fang house.

I go to the living room. Sung Jun and Wang Mei are sitting on the couch. They stand up when they see me. Wang Mei is dressed in navy jeans and a brown shirt. Her red hair is tied into two braids. She gapes at me with nervousness.

Sung Jun is dressed in a white shirt and black trousers. Sung Jun has a lofty smile plastered on his face. He knows his charms and effects on girls.

"Aisa, how are you?" Wang Mei rushes to me and scrutinizes my nose. I purse my lips and say nothing. The concern in her eyes is not fake. Wang Mei never cares about scars. She is born pretty, but her knees and arms are full of scars because of her hard training. "If that scar doesn't go away, you can marry my brother."

I am not surprised. Wang Mei's younger brother is only eleven at the time. It is not the first time that she offers her brother like that. When I scraped my knees once, my grandmother scolded me a lot. Wang Mei was there when she heard my grandmother said, "You won't get married if you have scars."

Ever since then, Wang Mei always offers her brother to marry me when I get scars.

"Wang Mei, I don't want to marry your brother."

I sigh.

I don't know the reason why she broke the friendship with me in my past life. Currently, her love and care for me are authentic. Maybe, this time, I will find out why she left me.

"You can marry him." Wang Mei points at Sung Jun. "Don't worry, Aisa. I will ask my father to make this pretty boy marry you."

Where did that come from? The boy is here and listening. I rub my forehead. Something is wrong with this girl's head.

"I don't want to marry your brother."

"Miss Wang, I said that I will take responsibility for Miss Fang." Sung Jun breaks his silence. He looks at me with amused eyes. "I will marry you, Miss Fang."