ㅤ赤い糸 CHAPTER TWO
ㅤ赤い糸 RED STRING OF FATE。CHAPTER TWO
un clou chasse l'autre.
“I'm not absolutely certain of the facts, but I rather fancy it's Shakespeare who says that it's always just when a fellow is feeling particularly braced with things in general that Fate sneaks up behind him with the bit of lead piping.”
― P.G. Wodehouse, Carry on, Jeeves
The Japanese proverb “fall down seven times, stand up eight” has always spoken to Junah on a more spiritual level. However, Junah has never been that person to look at the big picture, more inclined to focus on the smaller details. She has always been the kind to stay grounded, reaching for more reasonable dreams in her life. Junah is a respectable person, has never stepped out of line unless she felt personally attacked (which was rarely), and she knew her limits.
Jeon Junah also prided herself in being a responsible twenty-one year old law major with a reasonable set of goals and a healthy routine of studying, eating, sleeping, and peacefully hanging out with friends. So instead of finding herself deep in the depths of her textbook on criminal law and procedure, she finds herself outside on a Saturday afternoon in the freezing cold. With Ryu Hyeji and Go Soyoung. In below zero degree weather, in front of a god damn Italian restaurant.
Sighing heavily, Junah says in a calm manner, “I don’t understand the meaning of this. Are we eating or not?”
“Definitely not!” Hyeji shouts as Soyoung shoots Junah a forlorn look, pleading eyes staring at her as if she should be the one doing something about the mess that is Ryu Hyeji.
“I have three projects due back to back Hyeji, I don’t have time for this.” Junah frankly states as Soyoung pats Hyeji on the back, nodding in agreement.
“We can always do this another time.” Soyoung continues, sentence ending in a soft hum. Her smile directed towards Hyeji is soft, but her eyes give off a stern, almost elderly sister (if not motherly) look.
Hyeji sags her shoulders a bit before stepping in front of their view and turning towards them, sniffling. “Fine, I’ll just ask Minwoo then!”
Before Junah and Soyoung can bother with replying, Hyeji flies off down the street towards who knows where.
Breathing a sigh of relief Junah rubs her tired eyes before Soyoung emits a soft chuckle, eyes crinkling as the sun slowly fades from the distance. “Guess it’s back to projects and insanely long research papers?”
Junah’s happy that Hyeji’s causing a ruckus somewhere else, for she’s barely had any sleep for the past week, but the idea of going back to studying doesn’t sound so appealing anymore, especially since she can't be sure whether Hyeji will find her way back intact or all the more messed up. "Can we check on Hyeji, just for a minute?" Junah shifts on her feet. "I just want to know what she's up to."
With her lips pressed together, Soyoung nods. "Sure," she says, leading the way to the corner where Hyeji disappeared to. "Where do you think she could be?"
"I...don't know," Junah admits, eyes scanning the perimeter for Hyeji's hybrid of a bouncy-floppy hair and trying her best to sense Hyeji's normally overbearing presence.
Maybe Hyebi would know, Junah thinks as she grabs her phone out of her pocket and calls Hyebi. She waits and after three rings, Hyebi’s voice emits through the other side.
“You’re looking for Hyeji aren’t you?” Hyebi says gruffly, as if she’d woken up from a nap knowing what was to come out of this phone call.
Junah clears as Soyoung shakes her head in the background. Of course Hyebi would know, days without having to fret over Hyeji are days that feel weirdly incomplete.
“She’ll probably be at the local campus cafe. She knows her way around this neighborhood a little too much.” Hyebi continues after a moment of silence, “If that’s all, I’ll be hanging up.”
Well, Junah guesses she might as well go to the cafe with Soyoung and finish her report there. She’s thankful that she was smart enough to bring her laptop with her. However, when they reach the cafe, Junah can't help but rub her face with her hand and let out a defeated groan.
They find Hyeji hanging on top of the cafe's cashier counter and this close to committing murder through strangulation. The man hooked snugly under her armpit is wheezing and struggling. “Get arf of me Hy—”
"Holy , Hyeji, what the hell."
Hyeji turns to them, an insolent pout quickly forming on her lips. "I thought you were going to do your papers."
"Well," Soyoung calmly starts. "That certainly doesn't sound like an excuse to kill people."
When Hyeji does not even try to loosen her grip, Junah comes forth and pulls her down the counter to plop her back on the floor. "You're making a spectacle," she deadpans. "Do you really want Hyebi to go berserk?"
“It’s not like he’s a stranger!” Hyeji says, almost childishly so.
“I don’t know her.” The barista says, as Hyeji squawks at him. Her hands are stretched out and all ready to wrap around his neck again, but Soyoung swiftly wraps her arm around Hyeji’s neck in a chokehold, smiling her faux-sweet smile at her, eyes creasing.
Soyoung opens , “Now, no—”
"How dare you betray me like this, Minwoo!" Hyeji bellows, all the while holding onto Soyoung's arm lest she ends up choking her for real. "Shame on you! Shame on your cow!"
Catching Junah's gaze, Soyoung lets go of Hyeji, whirling her around quickly. "Now, now, Hyeji." Soyoung looks like she is talking to a five-year-old, which is not all that farfetched, really, but Junah still has to stifle a chuckle. "If you don't stop being a kid, we're taking you home."
Hyeji looks like she is about to argue, so Junah cuts her with a short, "Hyebi's orders."
There is a petulant pout stretched across Hyeji's face, but she shuts up.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Being a doctor has always been Soyoung's dream. Thinking back, she doesn't think there has ever been a time where she wants something else. But Fate doesn't always give you what you want—especially not in this world. She gives you what She thinks you need, not what you think you need. It has never worked that way, and Soyoung is for sure that it’s not going to start happening now.
So at the age of twenty-two, the supposedly peak of your life, Soyoung finds herself burying her face in a book about Medicine Overdose at 3 A.M. in the morning, reading the same sentence for the past ten minutes because apparently it is essential to know about it when you are studying Pharmacy.
The thing about Soyoung is that she has never been particularly an genius at Chemistry (there is a reason as to why she wants to be a doctor, and that is because Biology has always been her favorite subject). But if you ask her why she chose to go with Pharmacy, she will give nothing but a wry smile and try to jump past the topic. She is never an expert in the art of phrasing your words so it doesn't come off as bitter, and she doesn't really know how to say, "Well, both Law and Doctor are pricey stuff, and since my brother wants to take Law, I'm letting my parents save up some."
It's not that her parents pushed her to not take a step closer to her dream; after all, it is a respectable occupation.
But Soyoung is not stupid. She sees it in the tired wrinkles forming at the corner of her mother's eyes, and at the heavy bags underneath her father's. And well, let's just say that she doesn't have the heart to worsen any of the two.
When she broke it to them that she wants to pursue Pharmacy, they looked both relieved and disappointed, but Soyoung holds on to the latter to waltz through all-nighters and—and it isn't so bad.
Plus, she’s got her friends, correct? Sure, Soyoung has never been the people-oriented type, but she finds much relief in knowing that she has her friends for support. Soyoung knows very well that she doesn’t sound very appreciative of them on a day-to-day basis: purposely ignoring Hyeji’s text messages (but who doesn’t), never initiating conversations and positive contact, and the list can go on. But it should be made aware that Soyoung cares a bit too much for them.
And she has never dreamt of being a Pharmacist, but she has never dreamt of having someone as crazy as Hyeji as a friend either. She has never dreamt of having Minki in all his glory of monsieur hon hon baguette tendencies, nor has she dreamt of Iseul following Minki's path to random French words she doesn't understand (she doesn’t even want to talk about it when Iseul and Minki start talking in full blown English or French).
But that's okay, because Fate has it all planned out, and well, she always has Hyebi and Junah to keep her sane throughout.
AUTHORS' NOTES
QUICK NOTES: None this chapter.
TOBIOS: Holy , so this chapter was really short....but we finally finished introducing all the characters! I am so happy and we deeply apologize for it taking so long! I would say I was busy but I was just really too lazy to write up a chapter and then Hana & I had a big time zone difference that hindered us from being on at the same time, but we finally got around and wrote something! Oh and I hope you guys know that Hyeji, my character, won't be having a big story in this story, she might just appear in everyone else's story as some weird side character. Only because Hyeji is a weird case and for now, I still have yet to work out her love story. I might make Jongsuk die in the end, who knows. BUT ANYWAYS, hope you guys enjoyed!
KINTOUN: So we're back!!!! And well, it's been two weeks!!! But we're trying hard so please do forgive us otl Also!! I will be busy (again) with exams and exams and exAMS until the end of April, so please be lenient on updates for the meantime ; u ; I hope everyone likes the chapter (short as it may be) and thanks for reading! <3
BIG QUESTION OF THE DAY: What's currently your favorite song? Chau's (tobios), is Papaoutai by Stromae. Hana's is 4minute's CRAZYYY!!! (bc she has yet to listen to hd version of exo's new album)
BIG QUESTION OF THE DAY: What's currently your favorite song? Chau's (tobios), is Papaoutai by Stromae. Hana's is 4minute's CRAZYYY!!! (bc she has yet to listen to hd version of exo's new album)
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