Leaving This Behind
Incantations of FateLater in the following week, midterm results were announced and Ye Jin was surprised to find out that she ranked #15 in her year group. The class cheered for her and she responded with polite smiles. Every since Monday, she had avoided looking or even passing by Suga in the hallways. He would always try to catch her eye, but she refused to acknowledge him. Even when he used his magic to conjure a small pink rose on the windowsill by her desk, she tossed it out the window without hesitation. She was upset and knew that this was how it was supposed to be if she wanted to keep the peace between the two clans.
When the bell for the lunch period rang, Ms. Kim, their class teacher, entered and instructed Ye Jin to follow her to the office. Nam Joon looked worried but she assured them that it must be about school stuff. She left the classroom with confidence and headed to their Teachers' Office.
Upon entrance, she greeted all the teachers and shuffled over to Ms. Kim's desk.
The teacher pulled out a paper from a Manila folder and handed it over to Ye Jin. Looking down, Ye Jin's eyes widened both in shock and confusion.
"Your mother called and asked us to facilitate your transfer to a school in the North," Ms. Kim said, offering some explanation.
Ye Jin's thoughts bombarded her mind. She knew that this meant that the agreement was coming soon between the clans and the Park clan was to be moved to the North. She smirked, appalled at how fast things were moving.
She looked at her teacher and merely nodded, before leaving the room.
In the hallway, she came to a sudden stop. Ms. Kim said that her mother initiated the transfer, which meant that her mother was being kept Up-to-date with this whole new issue. Also, did her mother do this because she worried about her daughter, or was she just worried about keeping peace between the clans? No matter how badly she wanted to ask her mother, there were more negatives than positives that could have resulted from that encounter.
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When Ye Jin left school that evening, her phone rang. On the other end of the call, her Aunt's voice rang through.
"Ye Jin-ah, listen carefully. Go and pack your things and head to the address I'm texting you, okay? Hurry and don’t linger."
The call ended just as suddenly as it began. However, rather than question it, she followed the urgency in her Aunt's voice and almost sprinted to her apartment.
She packed as much clothes, shoes, and toiletries that would fit in her duffel bag. Still in her uniform, she headed out of the door and headed for the train station. The address from her Aunt was leading her to Chunchon, which was in the northern areas of South Korea. She had never been there, but now was as good a time as any.
The bus terminal was packed with people traveling home and people transporting their goods. It was difficult, but she made it through to get her ticket and board the train with 10 minutes to spear.
Once aboard, she recognized a few other Park clan members from the meeting. They nodded to each other but remained in their respective seats, not wanting to cause unnecessary attention to themselves.
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After about 2 hours, the train stopped at the Chunchon and she and the other ladies descended. They still avoided each other and made their own ways out of the station.
Ye Jin called on a taxi to carry her to the exact address. On the way over, the environment was welcoming and Ye Jin could easily find herself becoming adjusted to this new area. As the taxi approached a warm neighborhood, Ye Jin began to feel more comfortable.
"This is it," the driver notified her as he stopped outside of a modern house.
She handed him the required fare and stepped out with her baggage.
Once outside, Ye Jin wondered how to enter. However, before long, the gates opened and her Aunt rushed out to welcome her. She took the duffel bag from her and ushered her inside.
"Where's Nam Joon?" Ye Jin asked, as she entered the warm house.
"He'll join us here this weekend," her Aunt responded. "You can go ahead and get settled. Your room is down that way."
Ye Jin followed her Aunt's instructions and made her way down a dimly lit hallway. Her room was cozy and already furnished, to her surprise. She made a mental note to do some touching up on the wall color and the curtains. Otherwise, it would suit her just fine.
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