The Garden Where Promises Bloomed

The soft rustle of spring leaves danced through the air as the garden swayed in golden afternoon light. It had been years—decades, even—since these paths heard the laughter of old friends, the quiet sighs of past regrets, and the echoes of memories too sacred to forget.

Three figures sat around a weathered wooden table beneath the cherry tree. The blossoms had begun to fall, as if time itself had paused to witness this long-awaited reunion.

Kim Mi-kyung, graceful but visibly aged by life’s turns, poured tea into porcelain cups with careful hands.

“We are very thankful,” she said gently, “that after such a long time… we have finally reached each other again.”

Lee Soon-im, her back straight despite the years, nodded slowly. Her eyes carried both warmth and sorrow.

“I am thankful too. To meet you all again like this… it almost feels like fate.”

Beside them sat Min-kyung’s father-in-law, quiet and observant, his gaze fixed not on the tea, but on the weight behind every word.

They exchanged polite smiles, but the air was heavy — not awkward, but tense, as if something unspoken sat between them.

“Did you not call your granddaughter?” Mi-kyung asked, glancing around the garden.

“She’s at school,” Soon-im replied, setting her cup down.

“Not as a teacher — she’s a journalist. Today, she’s interviewing students about the pressure of exams. You know… so many children nowadays…” her voice faltered, “…they take their own lives because of it. Aaigoo…”

The table fell into silence.

“You know why we’re here, don’t you?” Mi-kyung asked quietly.

Soon-im exhaled, long and heavy. Her hands rested on her lap, steady but tired.

“I know. She’s twenty-five now… And I know that you and my Soo-min once made a promise. That you would one day bring your children together.”

“But,” she added softly, “that isn’t our choice to make. Not anymore. She’s grown. She has every right to choose her own path. I can’t tell her to marry someone just because her mother once made a promise to her best friend.”

Mi-kyung’s lips curved into a slow, understanding smile.

“Soo-im,” said the elder man suddenly, his voice like wind through old pine, “you know the bond our families shared.”

Soon-im looked at him and laughed, a small chuckle full of old memories.

“Aaigoo… You haven’t changed at all, have you?”

He looked away, smiling faintly. The air seemed to soften.

“I understand,” Mi-kyung said, placing her cup down. “We won’t force anything. But… we’ll bring it to them. Gently. I’ll speak to my son. Please, will you speak to your granddaughter?”

She bowed politely.

Soon-im stood, brushing her hands down her skirt with a quiet huff.

“Hffff… I still don’t understand why you and my daughter made that kind of promise. Some things are not in our hands.”

The elder man rose too.

“You remember, don’t you? My son and your son-in-law… they were best friends too. This bond isn’t just between two women. It’s between families.”

“I know we shouldn’t repeat our past… but your daughter and my daughter-in-law… they believed in something.”

“Now, it’s up to you.”

He bowed with quiet dignity.

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Later That Day – A Quiet Road in Seoul

The sky had turned a pale blue-gray as Lee Soon-im walked slowly down the village road, the scent of cherry blossoms in the air. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number she had memorized more deeply than her own.

📞 Soon-im: “Are you done with your work, dear?”

📞 Ha-eun: “Ma, I’m on break. Is everything okay?”

📞 Soon-im: “Today… I met Kim Mi-kyung.”

📞 Ha-eun: “Wait—what?!”

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[To be continued…]

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