“Are you sure about this?” Mike stood at the doorway as he held onto the thick report that Jinki passed him. It has been a day already since Jinki locked himself up, and until not long ago, he decided to open up the door and call for Mike. 

               Jinki sighed and leaned onto the door, “You don’t have a choice, do you?” He questioned him back.

              Mike took a quick glance at the report before looking at Jinki in the eye. He wasn’t sure if the report was what he wanted but when he briefly looked through, he realized it was indeed, a detailed report. He sighed.

              “I’ll trust you on this,” He said before walking away.

              Jinki watched until Mike disappeared from his sight. He closed the door again as he slid down against it, throwing his head back with a soft thud. He heard a loud slam of the door and he assumed that Mike went out to do what he wants with the completed report.

              “Where are you?...” He asked quietly, looking out the window at the bright sunlight.

              “Rein…” He closed his eyes. 

It was almost midnight now; Rein was still at Hongki’s apartment with Pixie. She stared blankly while sitting on the ground with her legs up against her chest, as she placed her chin on her knee, and Pixie laid on her fours just beside her.

              Hongki’s body was no longer there. It had turned into ashes soon after he died and Rein doesn’t know why. Perhaps because he wasn’t a complete human, she doesn’t know. Well, that wasn’t what was concerning her; she doesn’t even know why she doesn’t want to leave, yet.

              Pixie breathed heavily, she felt like she was responsible for Hongki’s death, but that was what she has to do in order to save Rein from him. Which Rein didn’t blame her, so just when Pixie wanted to pad away from Rein; she asked her to stay.

               “What do you think Jinki is doing right now?” Rein asked. Of course she wasn’t expecting Pixie to reply, which was why she wasn’t even looking at her when she asked the question.

              “Is Jinki waiting for me?” She asked again.

              And then she remembered she left a note, with Pixie’s help. She remembered about her saying she will be back, by Jinki’s side. Will Jinki be mad at her for leaving? Will Jinki dislike her? Is he not waiting for her anymore?

              Should she go back?

              “Should I go back?” She mumbled the question to herself, which surprisingly, Pixie responded by rubbing her nose against Rein’s leg.

              “Is that your way of asking me to go back?” Rein pat on the wolf’s head and Pixie stared at her. 

              Rein smiled.

Rein ran all the way from Hongki’s flat to Jinki’s mansion, from crossing the traffic to running into and out forests after forests. She didn’t stop, even though she can’t catch her breath, she didn’t stop. Pixie was also running, beside her, with the same speed even though the wolf could do better than that. Pixie can’t afford to let her human out of her sight; she knows that Jinki is waiting for her.

              But the sight awaits her wasn’t what she wanted.

              An empty mansion.

              “Jinki?” She called out, with a small smile playing on her lips thinking that Jinki might be playing with her.

              “Taemin?” She called for the younger brother and waited for a response. She don’t care, even if it was Taemin who turned up instead of Jinki, she just wanted someone who could tell her how to find Jinki.

              Pixie sniffed, taking a deep breath of the mansion and realized the mansion is empty, no one is hiding, and no one is here. The wolf turned her head and looked at Rein who’s still looking around. She doesn’t know how to tell her.

              Rein sighed as she noticed the depressed expression on Pixie, “They’re not here, right?”

              Pixie groaned.

              “Have they gone back?” Rein asked as she took steps up the stairs, with her fingers running along the railing. ‘Am I too late?’ She thought.

              On the second floor, she walked past Taemin’s room, then Jinki’s one. It was then she realized something was not right, it just doesn’t feel right; and Pixie just had to bark at Jinki’s door at this moment.

              Rein took a sharp glance at Pixie, someone or something is in there.

              She froze, breathing heavily as she reached out for the handle.

              “If there’s anything, Pixie, you know what to do.” She said and Pixie huffed.

              She leaned against the door, ready to push it open after she turned the doorknob. Pixie was beside her, on her fours, ready to pound on whoever or whatever is in there that might seem threatening.

              But when Rein pushed open the door, all she saw was this white fox padding around the room.

              Pixie padded towards the fox, lowering her head and whining at it while Rein watched their interaction.

              The white fox raised one of its front paw and pat on Pixie’s head.

              ‘Could it be…?’

              “Taemin?” She called out, she doesn’t want to believe it but she had to.

              The fox’s ears stood up, he wanted to answer her but he can’t. Foxes have different frequency compared to humans. He could only bark.    

              Rein let out a sigh after Taemin barked. She fell on the ground with her legs crossed. She was too late.

              Taemin padded towards her and rubbed his nose against her forehead. ‘Hyung is still waiting for you.’ He wanted to convey but doesn’t know how.

              “I’m sorry,” She apologized, hugging the white fox. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know these, and I shouldn’t have left.” She cried.

              ‘Please don’t cry, hyung is still waiting for you.’

              Rein sobbed into the fox’s body, burying her face into the white fur, until it doesn’t feel furry anymore. A pair of strong arms surrounded her frame and hugged her tight, and she heard a voice whispering in her ear.

              “Please don’t cry, hyung is still waiting for you.”

              Her eyes widen, pushing herself away before seeing Taemin, in human form, in front of her. “How did you…?” She asked, breathing heavily to her own crying.

              Taemin took a look at himself; he smiled as he looked back up at her. “Don’t ask me why, I’ve no idea too.” He stood up and held out a hand. “Now, you have to go.”

              Rein stared at him before giving him her hand to pull her up from the ground. “Hyung’s at your apartment, waiting for you.” Taemin said.

              He smiled, giving her a light kiss on her forehead for this might be the last time he will be seeing her. “It was nice knowing you, Rein noona.”

              Rein blinked, she returned a smile as she ruffled Taemin’s hair.

He doesn’t know how long he has been lying on the bed. He felt lonely, he felt helpless. He was waiting, as though waiting for something that’s not going to happen. He felt hopeless.

              He doesn’t know how long he has been lying on the bed, the sky outside doesn’t seem as bright as when Mike left the house. He doesn’t know how long had passed, he doesn’t know .

              A teardrop slipped out of the corner of his eye. What is he waiting for?

              “Jinki!”

              He heard.

              But he laughed.

              ‘I missed her too much.’ He thought.

              “Jinki!”

              He heard again, and this time he sat up on the bed.

              He wasn’t hallucinating, he heard it.

              ‘Rein’, he thought. “REIN!” He shouted as he rushed over to the door, almost tripping himself on the way.

              And when the door opened, he saw the love of his life, standing in front of him, panting.

              With no words, he pulled her into his embrace, and at this time, he thought all the waiting was worth it.

Both of them were lying on the bed, facing each other.

              For a moment when Rein thought that she had lost him, she doesn’t know what to do.

              For a moment when Jinki thought he won’t have the chance to see her again, he lost hope.

              And when the both of them were looking at each other, they felt alive again, though Jinki know that it won’t last.

              “Are you leaving?” Rein broke the silence.

              Jinki looked at her.

              “Umm,” he nodded.

              “You’re leaving soon?” She asked again.

              Jinki blinked, putting his arm under Rein’s head and pulling her towards him. “Umm,” he answered, hugging her.

              “And you won’t be coming back? For good?” She asked against his chest as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

              “Umm,” Jinki sighed, tightening the hug with his chin on top of her head.

              Rein closed her eyes. She knew that this might be the last time she will be hugging him. She knew that they won’t be together. She knew that Jinki will be gone and never come back again. She knew that even though she loves him, they won’t walk down the red aisle and he won’t be the father of her kids in the future.

              She knew.

              But she still fell in love.

              She snuggled against him, rubbing her nose against his chest and sniffing him. She felt nothing but happiness at that moment. She won’t be upset that she can’t hug him anymore, because for now, she just wants to smile and cherish the time.

             “I love you,” She whispered.

            Jinki’s heart felt like something was piercing it. He didn’t expect her to confess, he didn’t expect anything. He’s totally fine with just Rein hugging him.

              “I love you, too.” He answered. He knew he shouldn’t have said that. He wasn’t a person who can be there for Rein; he wasn’t someone who could love her. She smiled.

              She didn’t tell him about how Taemin turned into a human from a fox just to tell her about Jinki, he didn’t ask about why she was here as well.

              She didn’t tell him that Hongki’s gone, he didn’t ask either.               

              She didn’t ask how long he had left, he didn’t say either.

              Both of them were just snuggling against each other, making small jokes occasionally to lighten the mood.

              “Rein,” Jinki said softly, “Hmm?”

              She looked up at him when he doesn’t reply anymore. “What’s the matter?”

              Jinki smiled, running his thumb on her cheek as he pulled her closer by her waist. He closed his eyes and leaned in before kissing her on her lips.

              No hastily, just a sweet, slow kiss.

She doesn’t know how long she has been lying on the bed, but the other side of the bed was empty by now.

              She doesn’t know how long she has been lying on the bed, but the sky outside doesn’t seem as dark as when she just arrived. It was daylight already.

              She doesn’t know what to do. It was like a part of her was gone now.

              “Jinki…” She whispered, running her hand on the pillow beside her. It was still warm, like he never left.

              Just a few hours ago she was hugging him, he was kissing her, and they were with each other.

              “I won’t forget you, Lee Jinki.” She said, with a tear slipping out of her eye and staining the pillow. 

EMIZ's Dungeon

Finally....

For those who know my style, there will be an epilogue after this. 

Comments please!