The Next Day

The first thing Seolhyun did when she woke up was take a nice, luxurious bath in the tub. She stayed in that thing until her skin started to wrinkle, and even then it was hard to pull herself out of it.

It was heaven in a bathroom.

After that, she went downstairs and found Jisoo sprawled across a couch in the living room. Knocking Jisoo’s legs aside, Seolhyun sat down. She was watching Stranger Things reruns.

“Good choice,” Seolhyun commented. “Dustin and Mike? They’re two little brothers I’d like to meet in real life.”

“Yeps.” Jisoo knocked locks of hair out of her eyes. “It’s what I watch when I’m not in class or pretending to be in class.”

Seolhyun grinned. “Hyejeong would kill you if she knew you skip class.”

Jisoo kicked up her legs and dropped them in Seolhyun’s lap. “I know. I’ve cut back on the skipping class thing.”

She’d also cut back on the drinking thing. Seolhyun glanced at her. Maybe Jennie was a good influence on her. “Doing anything special for Valentine’s Day?”

Her lips pursed. “Now why would you ask that, Seolhyun? We don’t celebrate V-Day.”

“But you do. You wouldn’t have that cool tree if you didn’t.”

“Are you?” she asked, her gray eyes dancing. “I’d swear I saw Hyejeong at the jewelry–”

“Shut up!” Seolhyun hit her across the stomach with the thrown pillow. “Stop saying things like that. Nothing is going on.”

Jisoo grinned, and they watched the rest of the shows she’d recorded. It wasn’t until the afternoon that Seolhyun worked up the nerve to ask where Hyejeong was. “She was outside with the Guards the last time I checked.”

“Oh.”

Part of her was glad that Hyejeong was doing her babysitting outside. Her cheeks throwing a shade of tomatoes just thinking about them in the chair last night.

“So you two were up pretty late,” Jisoo smiled.

Seolhyun kept her expression blank. “She was showing me the house.”

“Was that all she was showing you?”

Shocked, Seolhyun laughed as she twisted toward her. “Yes! Jisoo, seriously.”

“What?” She sat up and swung her legs off Seolhyun’s lap. “It was just an innocent question.”

“Whatever.” Seolhyun watched her stand up. “Where are you going?”

“Over to the dorms. Jennie’s still there. You’re more than welcome to come, but I doubt Hyejeong will let you out of this house.”

Genuines and Myxs could be casual friends, especially while they were in school together, and a lot of them were, although not so much since the Demon attacks. Hwiyoung hadn’t thrown any of his huge parties lately. But for a Myx to be hanging out at a Genuine’s house would raise questions.

“What are you two doing?” Seolhyun asked.

Jisoo winked as she backed out of the room. “Oh, I’m sure the same thing you and my sister were doing last night. You know, she’s going to show me around the dorm.”

“Ha.”

Several hours later, Jisoo returned and Hyejeong finally reappeared inside. Avoiding Seolhyun’s gaze, she went straight upstairs. Jisoo shrugged and coaxed Seolhyun into watching another TV show with her. She controlled the TV for three straight hours before wandering off to bed, and Hyejeong went outside to check in with the Guards.

Sighing, Seolhyun roamed around the house. It was late, and she should’ve been in bed, but the idea of sleeping was unappealing. Full of restless energy, Seolhyun drifted around the room until she came to a stop in front of the door. Curious, and with nothing else better to do, she tried the handle and found it unlocked. Glancing over her shoulder, she pushed open the door and crept inside the softly lit room.

At once she realized why Hyejeong had kept this room off the tour.

Everything personal was crammed into the circular room. Pictures of Hyejeong lined the walls, witnessing her childhood. There were photos of Jisoo as a fetus-looking little girl, with bangs and chubby cheeks that hinted at pure innocence.

Seolhyun stopped in front of one of them and felt her chest tighten. She must’ve been six, or seven. Dark curls fell across her face instead of the looser waves she had now. She was adorable, all gray eyes and lips. There was a photo of her with Jisoo. Hyejeong was probably around ten or so, and she had one lanky arm draped over her younger sister’s shoulders. The camera had captured both girls laughing.

Moving around an overstuffed couch, Seolhyun slowly picked up the titanium picture frame that was on the fireplace edge. Her breath caught.

It was her father… her mother and father.

They stood behind Jisoo and Hyejeong, their hands on the girls’ shoulders. Behind them the sky was a brilliant blue. It was easy to tell which girl favored which parent. Their mother had hair the color of caramel silk that fell past her shoulders in springy curls. She was beautiful, as all Genuines were, with delicate features and laughing blue eyes. It was shocking, though, how much Hyejeong looked like her father. From the almost-black hair and piercing silver eyes, the father was an exact replica.

It didn’t seem fair that her parents were taken so young, robbed of watching their girls grow up. And Hyejeong and Jisoo had lost so much.

Seolhyun ran her thumb over the edge of the frame. Why had Hyejeong closed off all these memories?

Looking around the room, she spied a guitar propped beside a stack of books and comics. This was her room, she realized. A place where Hyejeong thought it was okay to remember her parents and maybe to just get away.

“You shouldn’t be in here.”

Startled, Seolhyun spun around, clutching the frame to her chest. Hyejeong stood in the doorway, arms straight at her sides. She stalked across the room and stopped in front of her. Shadows hid her expression. “What are you doing?” she demanded.

“I was just curious. The door wasn’t locked.” Seolhyun swallowed nervously. “I haven’t been in here long at all.”

Hyejeong’s gaze dropped and her shoulders stiffened. She pried the picture from Seolhyun’s fingers and set it back on its place. Without speaking, she bent and placed her hands over the kindling. Fire sparked and grew immediately.

Embarrassed and stung by her sudden coldness, Seolhyun backed away. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Hyejeong prodded at the fire, her spine stiff.

“I’ll leave.” Seolhyun turned, and suddenly Hyejeong was in front of her.

She clasped Seolhyun’s arm. “Don’t leave.”

Seolhyun searched her eyes intently, but couldn’t gain anything from them. “Okay.”

Hyejeong took a deep breath and let go of her arm. “Would you like something to drink?”

Hugging her elbows, Seolhyun nodded. This room was her sanctuary, a silent memorial to the family she’d lost, and she’d invaded it. She doubted even Jisoo dared to walk in here.

Behind the bar, Hyejeong pulled two wine glasses out and sat them down. Filling the glasses, she glanced up at Seolhyun. “Wine okay?”

“Yes.” Seolhyun’s throat was dry and tight. “I really am sorry, Hyejeong. I shouldn’t have come in here.”

“Stop apologizing.” She came around the bar and handed her a glass.

Seolhyun took the glass, hoping Hyejeong didn’t notice how her fingers shook. The wine was sugary and smooth, but it didn’t settle in her stomach right.

“I didn’t mean to snap at you like that,” Hyejeong said, moving toward the fire. “I was just surprised to see you in here.”

“It’s… uh, a nice room.” Seolhyun felt like an idiot for saying that.

Two lips tipped up at the corner.

“Hyejeong…”

Hyejeong stared at her for so long Seolhyun thought she’d never speak and when she did, it was not what she expected.

“After what happened to you in Gimhae, it reminded me of what it’d been like for me… after what happened to my parents. I had nightmares. Could hear… hear their screams over and over again for what felt like years. I never told you that. Maybe I should have. It could’ve helped you.”

Seolhyun sat on the edge of the couch, clenching the fragile stem.

Hyejeong faced the fire, taking a sip of her wine. “Do you remember the day in the gym when you told me about your nightmares? It stuck with me. Your fear of Ong and his return,” she continued. “All I kept thinking was, what if one of the Demons had escaped the attack on my parents? How would I’ve gone on?”

Ong was the only Demon to escape from Gimhae. Seolhyun hadn’t stopped thinking about him, but to hear his name knotted up her stomach. Half of the tags on her body were thanks to him.

“I thought getting you out of there, taking you to the zoo would help get your mind off things, but I had… I had to do more. I contacted some of the Linuses around here. I knew Ong wouldn’t have gone far, not after he knew what you were and had tasted your Alch,” she said. “Based on Chanmi’s and your description, it wasn’t hard to find him. He was just outside of Sasang-gu.”

“What?” The knots grew larger. “Sasang-gu is like, less than a hundred miles from here.”

She nodded. “As soon as it was confirmed that it was him, I left. Yonghwa– Apollo went with me.”

At first Seolhyun couldn’t figure out when Hyejeong could’ve done this, but then she remembered those weeks after she’d told her she loved her, and she’d ended their training sessions together. Hyejeong had had time to do this without her ever knowing. “What happened?”

“We found him.” Hyejeong smiled humorlessly before turning back to the fire. “I didn’t kill him outright. By the end, I think he truly regretted ever learning of your existence.”

Seolhyun didn’t know what to say. Part of her was awed by the fact Hyejeong had gone to such great lengths for her. The other part was sort of horrified by it. Underneath the calm and controlled persona that Hyejeong wore like a second skin was something dark… a side of her Seolhyun had only glimpsed.

Hyejeong wasn’t flawless.

She swallowed a sip of her wine. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“We really weren’t on talking terms then, and how could I’ve told you?” Hyejeong laughed harshly. “It wasn’t like a normal Demon hunt. It wasn’t a kill like we’re taught.”

The Ephensy basically taught them not to play around with their kills, so to speak. That even though the Demon was beyond saving, he’d once been a Genuine… or a Myx. Still, as disturbing as learning that Hyejeong had most likely tortured Ong, Seolhyun wasn’t disgusted by it.

“Thank you,” she said finally.

Hyejeong’s head jerked toward her sharply. “Don’t thank me for something like that. I didn’t do it just–”

“You didn’t do it just for me. You did it because of what happened to your family.” And Seolhyun knew she was right. It was Hyejeong’s way of taking revenge. It wasn’t right, but she understood it.

Hyejeong went still. The flames sent a warm glow over her profile as she stared down at her glass. “It was that night when they came.”

There was a lump forming in Seolhyun’s chest. She sat back, the glass of wine forgotten.

Hyejeong’s eyes lowered. “I heard the fighting outside of the house. I got up and looked out the window. I couldn’t see anything, but I just knew. There was a crash downstairs, and I woke up Jisoo. She didn’t understand what was happening or why I was making her hide in the closet and cover herself with clothes.

Seolhyun was listening intently.

“It all just happened so fast after that.” Hyejeong took a healthy swallow of the wine and then sat her glass on the ledge. “There were only two Demons, but they had control over Fire. They took out three of the Guards, burning them alive.”

Seolhyun wanted her to stop, because she knew what was coming, but Hyejeong had to get this off her chest. Seolhyun doubted she’d ever put that night into words, and she needed to deal with it.

“My dad was turning the element back on them, or at least, trying to. The Guards were dropping left and right. I… saw one of the Demons attack him… ripped his throat open right in front of me. I screamed– I’ll never forget that sound.” A distant look crept across Hyejeong’s face as she continued, almost like she was there. “My mother made sure as she got up the stairs. I heard her scream and I just,” she shook her head, “stood there. Terrified.”

“Hyejeong, you were just a little girl.”

She nodded absently. “My mom yelled at me to get Jisoo and get her out of the house. As I started down the stairs, the Demon came out of nowhere, grabbing my mom by the throat. She was staring at me when he snapped her neck. Her eyes… just glossed over. And Jisoo… Jisoo was screaming and screaming. She wouldn’t stop. I knew he was going to kill her, too.”

Seolhyun gasped. Tears burned her eyes. This… this was more horrific than she’d imagined.

Hyejeong turned to the fire. “The Demon went after me next. I don’t know why he spared me the fire and knocked me to the ground, but I knew he was going to drain my Alch. Then there was this Guard who’d been burned downstairs. Somehow, through what had to have been the worst kind of pain, he made it up the stairs and killed the Demon.”

She faced Seolhyun and there wasn’t any pain in her expression. Maybe sorrow and regret, but there was also a bit of wonder.

“He was a Myx. One of the ones I’d been following around in training. He was probably my age now, and you know, in all that horrific pain, he still did his duty. He saved my life and Jisoo’s. I found out a few days later that he had succumbed to the burns. I never got a chance to thank him.”

Now Hyejeong’s tolerance of Myxs made sense. That one Guard’s actions had changed centuries of beliefs in one little girl, turning prejudice into awe. It was no wonder that she never saw the difference between Myxs and Genuines.

Hyejeong made her way over to Seolhyun and sat. She met her stare. “That’s why I chose to become a Linus. Not so much because of what happened to my parents, but because of that one Myx who died to save my life and my sister’s.”

Seolhyun didn’t know what to say or if there was anything she could. So she placed her hand on Hyejeong’s arm as she blinked back tears.

A muscle worked in her jaw. “Gods, I don’t think I’ve ever talked to anyone about that night.”

“I feel… honored that you’d share that with me. I know it’s a lot.” Seolhyun squeezed her arm. “I just wish you’d never had to experience any of that. It wasn’t fair to any of you.”

Several moments passed before she answered. “I had justice for what those Demons did to me. I know it’s different from what you dealt with, but I wanted to give you that justice. I wish I’d told you before.”

“A lot of stuff was going on then,” Seolhyun said. They hadn’t been talking, and then Chanmi’s death happened. Her heart didn’t clench as badly as it used to at the name. “I understand what happened with Ong.”

Hyejeong smiled a little. “It was an elbowey reaction.”

“Yeah.” Seolhyun searched for something to take their minds off everything. They both needed it. Her gaze found the acoustic guitar propped against the wall. “Play something for me.”

Hyejeong rose and picked up the guitar carefully. Walking back to the couch, she sat on the floor in front of Seolhyun. She tipped her head down and locks of hair fell forward as she fiddled with the knobs along the headstock. Her long fingers plucked a pick out from the taunt strings.

She peered up, lips tipped in a half-smile. “You knew I wouldn’t refuse you.”

Seolhyun eased down on her side. Her stomach rarely ached, but she’d grown accustomed to being careful. “You know it.”

Hyejeong laughed as she thrummed her fingers on the strings lightly. After a few more moments of adjusting the tone, she started playing. The song was as haunting as it was soft, pitching high for a few strands, and then her fingers slipped down the chords.

It entranced her.

Resting her head on the pillow, Seolhyun curled up and closed her eyes, letting the melody filling the room drift over her. Whatever Hyejeong was thrumming on the guitar was soothing, like the perfect lullaby. A smile pulled at her lips. She could totally see her sitting in front of a packed bar, playing tunes that enchanted everyone in the room.

When the song ended, Seolhyun opened her eyes. Hyejeong was staring back at her, eyes so soft, so deep, that she never wanted to look away. “That was beautiful.”

Hyejeong shrugged and gently placed the guitar beside her. She reached up, carefully taking the barely-touched glass of wine from Seolhyun’s fingertips. Her eyes watched her as she took a sip, and then she set the glass aside, too. Minutes could’ve passed as they stared at each other, neither of them talking.

Seolhyun didn’t know what came over her, but she reached out and placed a hand on Hyejeong’s chest, beside her heart. Under her right hand, there was something hard and a teardrop-shaped tucked under her shirt. She’d felt the necklace before and never really paid it much attention, but now there was something… familiar about it.

She in a sharp gasp as comprehension shot through her. Hyejeong stared back, her eyes incredibly bright. A shiver ran down her spine, spreading across her skin with dizzying speed. She reached up, sliding her fingers under the thin chain.

“Seolhyun,” Hyejeong ordered, pleaded really. Her voice was thick. “Seolhyun, please…”

Seolhyun hesitated for an instant, but she had to see it. She just had to. Carefully, she tugged the chain up. Her breath caught in as she lifted the chain until it was completely out from underneath the shirt.

Dangling from the silver chain was the black guitar pick she’d gotten her for her birthday. The day she had given it to her she’d told her she didn’t love her. But this… this had to mean something, and Seolhyun’s heart was swelling, in danger of bursting.

Speechless, she ran her thumb over the polished gemstone.

Hyejeong placed her hand over hers, closing her fingers around the guitar pick. “Seolhyun.”

When her eyes met hers, there was a brutal level of vulnerability in Hyejeong’s stare, a sense of helplessness that she shared.

Her lips parted. “Couldn’t fool you for that long, I guess.”

Seolhyun squeezed her eyes shut, but a tear wiggled its way free, gliding down her cheek.

“Don’t cry.” Hyejeong caught the tear with her finger as she pressed her forehead against hers. “Please. I hate when you cry because of me.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to be all emotional.” Seolhyun wiped at her cheeks, feeling foolish. “It’s just that… I never did know.”

Hyejeong clasped the sides of Seolhyun’s face, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. “I wanted a piece of you with me always. No matter what.”

Seolhyun didn’t say anything as a new tear dropped in the corner of her eyes.

“No matter what,” Hyejeong brushed her lips over Seolhyun’s damp cheek. A soft smile filled her voice. “Even if your heart belongs to someone else.”

Seolhyun’s heart tumbled over, but she stilled. “What do you mean?”

Hyejeong dropped her hands, leaning back. “I know you care about her.”

She did care about Jimin. But she wasn’t her heart. When Hyejeong was there, in front of her, the connection between them was something more than prophecy. Her true fate… real and not an illusion.

Prophecies were just dreams. Hyejeong was her reality.

“It’s not the same,” Seolhyun whispered. “It never has been. When I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel, you’re the only person that can remind me. You have my heart, Hyejeong.”

Hyejeong lowered her gaze. Moments passed before her eyes flicked up, meeting Seolhyun’s. There seemed to be some sort of internal battle she struggled with. When she spoke, Seolhyun wasn’t sure if she’d won or lost. “We should go to bed.”

A shock ran through her, flushing her skin. But wait. Was she suggesting that they go to bed together or that they go to bed in separate beds?

Gods, Seolhyun really had no idea, she was too afraid to hope, and oddly, she was frightened by the idea. It was like being offered what she’d waited for so long and suddenly having no idea what to do with it.

Or how to do it.

Hyejeong’s lips quirked, and then she stood. Clasping Seolhyun’s hands in hers, she tugged her to her feet. “Go to bed,” she said.

Seolhyun’s legs felt weak. “Are… are you coming, too?”

Hyejeong nodded. “I’ll be up in a few.”

Seolhyun couldn’t breathe.

“Go,” she urged.

And Seolhyun went.

 ***

Seolhyun was sure she was going to have a heart attack. She still couldn’t really breathe.

She brushed her teeth and got the tangles out of her hair. She stared at the large bed in the middle of the room. She couldn’t decide what to wear. Or should she wear nothing? Oh Gods, what was she thinking? It wasn’t like Hyejeong said she was coming up to have your-dirty-soul-knows-what.

And if she wasn’t and she saw Seolhyun lying on the bed , that would be a whole lot of awkward.

Well, perhaps Hyejeong just wanted to spend more time with her. Jimin issue aside, there was still the whole old, bigger issue of them not being able to be together.

But Hyejeong had the guitar pick. She’d had the pick hovering over her heart this entire time.

Seolhyun pulled on a tank top and sleeping shorts, then started toward the bed. Then she looked down at her arms. In the moonlight streaming in through the window, she could still see the patchy, irregular skin. She didn’t want Hyejeong to see that.

 So she changed quickly, pulling on a thin, long-sleeved shirt. She kept the bottoms on. Then she jumped in the bed, pulled the covers up to her chin, and waited.

There was a soft knock on the door a few minutes later.

“Breathe, Seolhyun. Breathe. It’s okay.” She winced at the way her own voice croaked.

Hyejeong came in, shutting and locking the door behind her. She’d changed, too, wearing a pair of dark sleeping pants and a gray tank top that showed off her arms. Seolhyun swallowed nervously and willed her heart to slow down before she passed out.

Hyejeong faced her and went rigid. The room was too shadowed for Seolhyun to see her expression, and she wished she could, because then she could’ve tried to figure out what the girl was thinking.

Wordlessly, Hyejeong went to the windows first and drew the curtains. The room was cast into utter darkness, and Seolhyun’s fingers dug into the comforter. She heard Hyejeong walking around the room, and then a soft glow appeared. She brought a candle to the bed, setting it down on a small table.

She looked at Seolhyun, expression softened by the candlelight. She smiled.

Seolhyun started to relax, the blanket easing away from her fingers. Carefully, Hyejeong pulled back the covers on her side and climbed in, never once breaking eye contact with her. “Seolhyun?”

“Yeah?”

She was still smiling. “Relax. I just want to be here with you… if that’s okay?”

“It’s okay,” Seolhyun whispered.

“Good, because I really don’t want to be anyplace else.”

Oh, the warmth that flooded her chest could’ve had Seolhyun floating to the stars. She watched Hyejeong stretch out beside her. Her gaze darted to the closed door even though she knew Ji freaking Soo was nowhere near them.

She bit her lip, daring a quick look at Hyejeong. Her chin was tipped up and her eyes burned silver, bright, and intense. She couldn’t look away.

Hyejeong drew in a shallow breath, lifting the arm closest to her. “Come?”

Heart pounding, Seolhyun scooted over until her leg brushed hers. An arm came up, wrapping around her waist. Hyejeong guided her down so that Seolhyun was nestled against her, cheek on her chest.

She could feel Hyejeong’s heart racing just as fast as hers. They lay in silence for a little while, and in those minutes, it was like being in paradise. The simple pleasure of being beside her felt so right it really couldn’t be wrong.

Hyejeong brought her other arm across her, cupping Seolhyun’s cheek in her hand. Her thumb smoothed over Seolhyun’s jaw. “I’m sorry for that day. For how I talked to you, for how much I hurt you. I just thought I was doing the right thing.”

“I understand, Hyejeong. It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay. I hurt you. I know I did. I want you to know why I did that,” she said. “After you told me how you felt, at the zoo… it… it shattered my self-control.” Uh, didn’t seem that way, Seolhyun thought as she continued. “I knew I couldn’t be around you anymore, because I knew I would touch you and I wouldn’t stop.”

Seolhyun lifted up, staring down at Hyejeong and opened to say something that probably would’ve ruined the moment, but she never had the chance. Hyejeong’s hand found the nape of her neck and pulled her down. Her lips met Seolhyun’s, and like every time before, there was this indefinable spark that coursed through them. Hyejeong made a sound against her lips, kissing Seolhyun harder and harder.

She pulled back just enough so that her lips brushed Seolhyun’s when she spoke. “I can’t keep pretending that I don’t want this, that I don’t want you. I can’t. Not after what happened to you. I thought… I thought I’d lost you, Seolhyun, forever. I lost you and then I lost myself, I don’t know which one was worse.”

Many emotions rose in Seolhyun all at once; awe, hope, and love. So much love that everything outside of them vanished in that instant. “This… this is what you’ve been trying to tell me.”

“It’s what I’ve always wanted to tell you.” Hyejeong sat up, bringing Seolhyun along with her. “I’ve always wanted this with you.”

Seolhyun slid her hands to her cheeks, meeting her heated gaze with her own. “I’ve always loved you.”

Hyejeong made a strangled sound and her lips were on hers again. Her hand buried in Seolhyun’s hair, h