Yerim and Sae-ron spent the remainder of their morning and afternoon at the latter girl’s house. Luckily for Yerim, the spell that Seungwan had placed on them transported the pair directly there as soon as they’d departed from the circle and, while the transition was almost jarring enough to cause the blonde to vomit, it was much easier than lugging an unconscious Sae-ron all the way through the woods.

    As Seungwan had stated previously, Sae-ron was indeed a bit fuzzy on the events that had taken place between them departing school and them arriving at her home. In her own emotionally drained state, Yerim was almost unable to keep up the facade, but she fought through and convinced Sae-ron that she’d fallen asleep in Yerim’s car on the way there, and was still half-asleep when they walked into the house. Due to Sae-ron’s immense trust invested in her lifetime companion, that was all the convincing she needed, and she believed the story without hesitation. She’d then gone to lie down, and Yerim had fixed her favorite lunch for her, which the older girl then delivered to the bedside without hesitation. Of course, Sae-ron was taken aback by Yerim’s uncharacteristically selfless behavior.

    “Wow,” she’d remarked without lifting her head from the pillow, “I should get us into fights more often, if it means you making me lunch.”

    “Just a way of saying thanks,” Yerim had replied, placing the plate and cup down on Sae-ron’s nightstand, “I… really owe you. For that whole mess I got you into.”

    “I’m your best friend. I couldn’t just let them insult you like that. You don’t owe me anything.”

    Yerim had had to put effort into holding back her tears.

    Soon after devouring her meal, Sae-ron had drifted off to sleep. Yerim had then retreated to Sae-ron’s bathroom, locking the door behind her in order to ensure privacy.

    The blonde stared at herself in the mirror, regarding her haggard face. Looking herself over, inspecting each inch of her visage. She leaned on the countertop for three minutes, her pupils scanning gradually down and up, her breaths slow and controlled, her mind blank and thoughtless. Those long, platinum blonde locks. That pale, ghostly skin. The soft, diminutive nose and the harshly downturned mouth contrasted by those large, dead eyes.

When she came to the realization that she barely recognized herself, she cried for twenty minutes.

The remainder of the day was spent attempting to get homework done, and catering to Sae-ron’s needs. The younger girl tried to shrug off the assistance, but Yerim was annoyingly persistent, waiting hand and foot on the brunette with staunch insistence. Sae-ron’s needs mostly consisted of fetching water and snacks, or bringing her laptop or phone charger when she needed it. The younger girl slept most of the day away, leaving long moments of silence in which Yerim was allowed to sit and soak in her own dark thoughts. It felt akin to some sort of malaise, a disease of the spirit that left her feeling drained and vulnerable and alone. It was a vast loneliness, reaching out like the tentacles of the dark substance that Joohyun and Seulgi had exuded, spiralling around her and trapping her in a suffocating cloak of despair. A type of loneliness that had no remedy. She didn’t want to see Sae-ron. She didn’t want to see her mother. She didn’t want to see her sisters. She didn’t know what she wanted for a long time.

It was towards the end of the day when she finally realized what she wanted to do, where she wanted to go. To escape for awhile, into a world where she could disregard reality and lose herself completely, for an indefinite amount of time, if necessary.

“You sure you don’t wanna stay a little longer, Yeri?” Sae-ron asked, looking up from her phone, “Your mom’s definitely gonna give you hell for what happened today.”

“No, it’s fine,” Yerim answered, slinging her backpack over her shoulder and standing up, offering a quick glance out the window at the setting sun,“I’ve already ignored her phone calls enough. I should at least get home before she does, so it looks like I was just home all day.”

“Alrighty,” Sae-ron replied, rolling over into a sitting position on her bed.

“It’s fine, I can walk myself to the door. I know you have a headache. How are you feeling?”

“Hmm…” Sae-ron mused, placing a hand on the side of her head, “Still a little light-headed. Guess Krystal hit me a little harder than I thought, huh?”

The blonde mustered up her most sympathetic smile, a smile that, despite the amount of energy put into it, barely reached her eyes.

“Just text me so I know you’re okay, please. What time are your parents coming home again?”

“They should be home within the hour. Really not looking forward to getting yelled at,” the younger girl rolled her eyes and frowned deeply.

“I’m sure they’ll understand… you were defending me, is all. Plus, it’s not like you got suspended. Just a few days’ detention.”

“I guess so…” Sae-ron muttered, staring at the wall behind her best friend, absentmindedly rubbing her temple, “Ugh… I wish everything wasn’t so hazy. Maybe the school nurse should’ve checked me out, after all?”

Yerim paused, biting down on her bottom lip, staring at her distressed friend, a troubling soup of sentiments stirring in her belly.

“I-I think you just need some sleep, Ronnie…”

    There was an audible tremor in the blonde’s voice.

    “Are you okay?” Sae-ron asked, “You sound-”

    She was cut off as Yerim flung her arms around her, hugging the younger girl, almost clinging to her.

    “I’m sorry for everything today,” Yerim spoke into Sae-ron’s shoulder, “I didn’t mean for any of it to happen...”

    “Hey, don’t worry about it,” Sae-ron said, returning the embrace, “It’s what friends are for. I know you would’ve done the same for me. You did most of the work in the fight, anyway.”

    Yerim didn’t respond, instead exhaling deeply through her nostrils, holding her dear friend tighter in an attempt to convey all the feelings that she didn’t dare verbalize. Sae-ron disengaged the hug first, holding Yerim out at arm’s length and inspecting her closely with a suspicious eye.

    “You sure you’re good to drive home? Where’d you park, anyways? I didn’t see your car out front.”

    “I-uhh,” Yerim hesitated, glancing away, a sheen of sweat threatening to break out on her forehead, “I parked on the next block. Didn’t wanna block your driveway, and there were no spots on your street.”

    “Okay…” Sae-ron said thoughtfully, “Well, just be careful driving home. I know it’s close, but text me as soon as you get there, alright?”

    “I will,” Yerim then began walking towards the door, trying to keep herself from sprinting away, “I’ll go through the back so you don’t have to lock the door. See you tomorrow, Ronnie.”

    “Bye, Yeri!” Sae-ron’s said cheerfully, settling back on her bed as she waved.

    Yerim shut Sae-ron’s bedroom door behind her and began walking down the hall, to the staircase, into the the kitchen, and out the backdoor. She shut the sliding rectangle of glass and metal, then exited out the fence and into Sae-ron’s front yard, ensuring to lock the fence behind her. The day remained sunlit, with a few streaky clouds stretching across the sky like long, wispy fingers, extenuated by the purple-yellow glow of the impending sunset. She took a deep breath of the clear outside air, holding it for a moment before continuing on.

    As soon as she was far enough down the sidewalk that she knew Sae-ron could no longer see her from the bedroom window, she broke into a run.

***

    Yerim had no concept of her surroundings as she ran, as fast as she could, to her place of refuge. Never mind that Joohyun and Seulgi had almost killed her. In her mind, that was a much preferable fate to the one that she was currently enduring.

    Her surroundings passed by in a blur of colors and breath and sweat, the pace of her movement fluctuating as she slowed to catch her breath. She never stopped, remaining in a constant state of motion, as if attempting to escape from some unseen pursuer, one that was relentless and unstoppable, one that constantly remained a single step behind her.

    Relief filled her as the house came into view. Even more so when she saw that the door was wide open, with a prominent figure standing in the doorway. One that had so recently antagonized her, but one that now represented salvation and safety. As Yerim approached, she could sense the emotions radiating from Joohyun: sympathy, guilt, apology. The orange-clad woman outstretched her arms, and Yerim took her place in them, allowing Joohyun to hold her, to rock her back and forth as she sobbed, crying shamelessly and fully into the witch’s upper chest.

    “You poor thing,” Joohyun whispered, “We didn’t mean to harm you. I swear. I’m sorry, Yeri. I’m so, so, sorry.”

    “It’s okay,” Yerim’s voice came small and shattered, “I forgive you, Joohyun. Please, just… don’t let go of me.”

    “Okay,” Joohyun replied, her hands rubbing at the apexes of Yerim’s back, “It’s all okay now.”

    A fuzzy, pleasant sensation made its way into Yerim’s body, her muscles relaxing as its soothing machinations worked on her. Gradually, her sobs quieted, and she stood limply against Joohyun’s body, her mind hazy and complacent. She shut her eyes and nuzzled deeper into the older girl’s s. Normally, she would be too embarrassed to do such a thing, but Joohyun’s embrace was so secure and warm, so comforting and lovely, such a contrast to all the bitter feelings that she had been drowning in, that she couldn’t help it. Joohyun, who was now laying the side of her face against the crown of Yerim’s head, didn’t seem to mind at all.

    “I almost got my best friend killed, mom...” Yerim murmured woefully, “I hurt her…”

    Joohyun disregarded the erroneous designation.

    “It’s not your fault, sweetheart. You couldn’t have known.”

    They stood like that for a long time, Yerim basking in the magical glow that Joohyun exuded, Joohyun providing words of reassurance.

    “Come,” Joohyun said, slowly releasing her hold but still supporting Yerim’s limp form, “You must be starving. Let’s get you some food.”

    Yerim needfully reached out and locked her elbow with Joohyun’s, intertwining their fingers and resting the side of her head on the raven-haired girl’s surprisingly comfortable shoulder.

    “You’re awfully affectionate for someone who should absolutely despise me,” Joohyun remarked lightheartedly.

    “I could never hate you,” Yerim said as Joohyun guided her into the kitchen, the door shutting behind them of its own accord.

    Joohyun merely laughed in response as she led Yerim into one of the many wooden chairs at the table, sitting her down gently and taking a seat beside her.

    “Where’s Seulgi?” the blonde asked, looking around the kitchen as if the monolidded girl would appear from thin air.

    “She’s… resting,” Joohyun answered shortly, a deep frown marring her features, “She’s going to come down and apologize to you soon.”

    “She doesn’t need to apologize,” Yerim swiftly intervened, “I shouldn’t have butted in like that. I felt for bad Sooyoung, so I got involved in your business when I shouldn’t have. It’s not-”

    “Shush,” Joohyun placed a single finger upon Yerim’s lips, pressing lightly against them. Yerim immediately fell silent, “It’s entirely our fault for what happened. We both let our emotions get the best of us at the time. Sooyoung had a right to be concerned, and you, Sae-ron, and Seungwan had a right to intervene. Seulgi and I both owe you apologies.”

    Joohyun removed her finger from Yerim’s lips, allowing her hand to fall onto the younger girl’s shoulder. Her gaze drifted to her own lap, and she took a deep breath before continuing.

“Additionally… I have to apologize for what happened to Sae-ron. That was also entirely the fault of Seulgi and I. Admittedly, I didn’t really understand the problem with it until Seungwan explained it to me. But now I do. I know that simple words can’t change what happened, but hopefully they can help to repair your aching soul, even just a little.”

Yerim smiled. It was her first genuine smile in what felt like ages, and when Joohyun noticed it, she smiled too. Joohyun’s smile was toothy and full, giving a playful, youthful appearance to her normally stoic face. It was a smile that, in a way, made Yerim feel as though she were protected and cherished, as if all the bad things in the world were locked away, unable to harm her ever again.

Both girls started as the sound of footsteps echoed from across the kitchen. Yerim turned to see Seulgi approaching them, a look of apprehension and sympathy painted on her normally jovial face. Seulgi shuffled over to them, her monolidded eyes making a very obvious point not to meet her lover’s. Yerim glanced over at Joohyun and noticed that she was refusing to acknowledge Seulgi’s presence. As Seulgi arrived before the pair, Joohyun stood up abruptly, nearly knocking over the chair behind her in the process.

“I’m going to take care of some things,” she said quickly, “Seulgi can keep you company… ah, wait, I almost forgot.”

Yerim caught a flicker of movement from the corner of her vision, and looked over at the table to see a truly tantalizing sight: a full bowl of tuna kimchi fried rice, a plate of Thai banana roti, and a frost-encrusted container of strawberry ice cream.

“Thank you, Joohyun!” Yerim exclaimed, “How’d you know those were my favorites?”

There was no response, as Joohyun had already disappeared.

“You’ll have to excuse her behavior, Joohyun’s… not fond of me at the moment,” Seulgi admitted in a melancholy tone, “Mind if I sit with you while you eat?”

“Of course not, go ahead,” Yerim said, pulling the bowl of rice close to her and initiating her ravenous absorption of the food. Given the events of the day, the blonde had completely forgotten to eat anything besides breakfast. Joohyun’s cuisine was a godsend.

“So…” Seulgi began, replacing Joohyun’s position in the seat beside Yerim, although she was visibly much less relaxed than the older girl had been, “I just wanted to say how sorry I am for everything that happened. Me and Joohyun got carried away… we hardly ever fight like that…”

“It’s okay. All couples fight sometimes, right? Yours was just a little… different.”

"If you say so," Seulgi replied with her trademark, cheek-bunching grin.

What followed was a long period of wordlessness, one that was accompanied by the clanking of metallic utensils against ceramic, a sound that resonated throughout the kitchen. Admittedly, Yerim felt a bit uncomfortable with Seulgi sitting beside her while she ate, but she was able to shrug off the awkwardness and focus most of her attention on the food. Despite the blonde’s voracious appetite, the food never ran low, a fact that became apparent to her very quickly as her stomach filled. As a result, she made sure to have a hearty serving of each dish before ceasing, leaning back in her chair and letting out a stereotypical sigh of post-prandial satisfaction. Seulgi, who seemed to be waiting for Yerim to finish, finally spoke up then, snapping out of her eerily trance-like state in such a swift manner that it caused the younger girl to jump slightly.

“How is your friend doing? Is she alright?”

“Tired and weak,” Yerim said, “She mostly slept all day. Nothing really major seemed to be wrong with her, and aside from the things that Seungwan… uh, deleted from her brain, she’s pretty cognizant.”

“That’s good to hear,” Seulgi, who appeared to be steeling herself prior to Yerim’s answer, visibly relaxed. It warmed Yerim’s heart to think that Seulgi was concerned for her friend’s health, “Seungwan is very good with magic. I can almost guarantee that your friend will make a complete recovery.”

“I didn’t know Seungwan was so talented,” Yerim said, half in awe as she remembered the angelic entrance of the auburn-haired girl, “She stopped your fight so easily…”

“She’s easily the best out of all of us,” Seulgi remarked with a chuckle, “It comes very naturally to her. Joohyun can’t even measure up. And to think… me and her have been doing this for an eternity. It was like Seungwan was born to be a witch. Even at the beginning, she was amazing.”

“What about Sooyoung?” Yerim asked, more out of curiosity than anything else.

“She’s… very apprehensive when it comes to use of her magic. She just lacks confidence in herself, is all. Sometimes I get the feeling that she preferred being human.”

“Being human?” Yerim snapped to attention. All this time, she’d believed that Sooyoung had been “born” into existence in a similar fashion to Joohyun and Seulgi, “She was human before?”

“Yep. I’m surprised she never told you. Her situation is very different from Seungwan’s.”

“How so?”

“Well, Sooyoung didn’t come here while she was alive. She only arrived after she died.”

“D-died?” Yerim said in a low voice, attempting to comprehend the implications of such information, “But how is that possible?”

Seulgi shrugged and waved a hand lazily around the kitchen.

“Same reason all of this is possible. We have no idea.”

“So how… how did it happen?”

“It’s not my place to tell you that,” Seulgi answered ruefully, “But I’m sure Sooyoung would be more than willing to tell you. She’s very fond of you.”

“It’s not like I can just ask her how she died…” Yerim mumbled, eliciting a loud, full laugh from the older girl.

“That’s true,” the monolidded girl said, “It might be a little rude.”

“Well, she can talk about it when she’s ready to. I’m sure it’s a sensitive topic.”

Seulgi nodded.

“By the way, Yerim, I have a question for you,” the older girl asked, her expression becoming sheepish again, “I’ve been meaning to ask you this for awhile, but have you ever been to a farm?”

“What?” the blonde inquired in confusion, holding back a giggle at the absurdity of the question, “What do you mean?”

“Like… with crops and those big wooden red houses and animals,” Seulgi said her eyes glazing over in what Yerim assumed was wonderment, “Animals like pigs and sheep and goats and cows and horses.”

“Um, I think when I was younger my dad took me to a farm. I don’t remember much of it, though. Why?”

“I want to go to a farm one day...” Seulgi continued, lost in her fantasy, “Especially for the animals. I’ve only ever seen animals like that in photos. They look so cute and interesting… so different from me. I’ve asked Sooyoung and Seungwan about it in the past, but they’ve never been to farms. Are the animals nice?”

“From what I remember, some of them are. They’re kinda scary up close.”

“Are the sheep soft? Did you ride the horses?” Seulgi’s words picked up speed as a wide grin dominated her features, “Did you milk the cows?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t really remember much else besides the fact that we went there,” Yerim conceded, a spike of sympathy running through her as she watched Seulgi deflate, “But… why don’t you just don’t do what Seungwan does and create a farm in your room?”

“We can’t create living things,” Seulgi said, looking markedly forlorn, “I can create the environment, but it’s empty and worthless if there are no animals there.”

“Ah… okay,” Yerim said thoughtfully, contemplating this odd limitation, “Come to think of it, Seungwan’s beach didn’t really have any seagulls or crabs or anything like that.”

Seulgi nodded, still appearing to be rather let down.

“If I ever get out of this house, that’s the first thing I want to do,” Seulgi said, “Go to a farm. I’ll bring Joohyun with me. And maybe one day we can have our own farm, with animals and crops.”

“Have you guys ever tried to leave the circle?”

“We’re… actually working on it,” Seulgi said, shifting in her seat and looking away, “Me and Joohyun have been trying for a long time now. We think we’re close… but there’s an issue we’re trying to resolve.”

Yerim met Seulgi’s gaze then, and in those innocent, monolidded orbs, she could see some type of hidden sentiment, one that was mysterious, yet unnerving, one that contained uniquely dark implications.

“Is that what you guys were fighting about?” Yerim asked, feeling her heart jump at her thoughtless question, “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say that, it’s not my place to-”

“Don’t worry about it,” Seulgi said, giving Yerim a reassuring pat on the hand, “To answer your question, yes. It was about that.”

Then, as if on cue, a figure skipped into view in the doorway behind Seulgi. Owing to her taste for constantly changing outfits, Sooyoung was dressed in a white-collared, red, form-fitting, sleeveless top with a white skirt that stopped midway down her thighs. Her now platinum-blonde hair was done up in a ponytail behind her head, and she was wearing a deep crimson shade of lipstick.

“Hi Yerim! Hi Seulgi!” she called as she approached, skirting around Seulgi in order to hug the still-seated Yerim, who had to admit to herself that the sensation of Sooyoung’s chest pressed to her face was nothing short of heavenly, “Did you come to play?”

Yerim noted that Sooyoung’s arms hadn’t moved from her shoulders, and the shorter girl found that she didn’t mind at all. She smiled at up at Sooyoung endearingly.

“Yeah, I did,” Yerim said, “Wanna do my hair again?”

“Of course!” Sooyoung exclaimed, jumping up and down and clapping, before suddenly taking on a very serious, almost stern expression, “How long have you been here? We should go outside of the circle real quick.”

“Seulgi, do you mind if I…?”

“No, not at all, go ahead,” Seulgi said, waving the pair off amicably, “You two lovebirds have fun.”

Yerim chose not to address the very obvious, very pink blush on Sooyoung’s face.

“Bye Seulgi!” Sooyoung called as she grabbed Yerim by the wrist, dragging her out of the kitchen with her usual, unnerving strength.

***

    After Yerim’s brief excursion outside of the circle, the two girls returned to the house, walking hand-in-hand (an action initiated by the older girl). As they were approaching the wooden building, Yerim heard a dull, heavy thud coming from the backyard, followed by a familiar voice letting out a string of curses, causing Sooyoung to giggle.

    “That’s Wannie,” the older girl said, reading Yerim’s confused visage, “She’s probably playing her throwing axe game again.”

    “Throwing axe?” Yerim said incredulously, “Like at targets?”

    “Mhm. Come look!”

    Sooyoung led Yerim around the side of her home and to the wide, open expanse of grass that was their backyard. There was a small back porch attached to the house, but besides that, the area was very plain. Seungwan stood with her back turned to them, facing three bullseye targets, holding a large, heavy-looking axe in her hand. As Sooyoung and Yerim walked over, she drew her arm back and threw the weapon in a zipping, arc-like movement, sending it forward at lightning speed, burying its blade in the yellow portion of the nearest target.

    “God dammit,” Seungwan swore to herself.

    “That was a good throw, Wannie!” Sooyoung quipped, causing Seungwan to turn around and face them, her eyes taking on a soft gleam as they settled on Yerim.

    “Hi, guys,” she said, “Yeri… how’s your friend doing?”

    “She’s good. A little lightheaded and out of it, but that’s what you said would happen, right?”

    “Yep. She’ll be normal within a couple days,” Seungwan said, relieved, “If not, bring her back here and we can see what we can do. So what are you guys up to?”

    “We were gonna go play,” Sooyoung said proudly, “Do you wanna come too?”

    “Nah, I think I’ll just stay out here,” Seungwan said, pulling up another throwing axe from nowhere, “Unless you wanna join me?”

    “Sure,” Yerim cut in enthusiastically, oddly eager to try Seungwan’s version of “fun”, “If Sooyoung doesn’t mind.”

    “I don’t mind! As long as you’re here,” the tall girl replied sincerely. It was Yerim’s turn to blush.

    Seungwan ignored the awkwardly flirtatious exchange before holding out her axe for Yerim to take.

    “Have you ever done this before?”

    “No…” Yerim said, taking the axe in both hands, unsurprised that the weight of the weapon was almost too much for her to hold up reasonably, “Do you have any lighter axes?”

    “I do, but I feel like you might appreciate a different weapon more,” Seungwan took the axe back, gripping the thick wooden handle with ease, “How do you feel about a crossbow?”

    “Whatever you think is best.”

    Seungwan nodded, and in an instant, the axe in her hand transformed into a compact crossbow, one with a sight and a small quiver that held three arrows. Meanwhile, Sooyoung had already gone over to one of the other targets, and was releasing a barrage of knives, the innocent grin on her face contrasting heavily against her deadly movements. The girl had a lot more tone to her body than Yerim thought, and it was almost entrancing to watch her arm and leg muscles flashing as they tensed with each throw.

    “Hello, Yeri?” Seungwan asked, waving a hand in front of the blonde’s face, yanking Yerim’s attention away from her shameless ogling, “I’m trying to give you the crossbow.”

    “Oh, , sorry,” Yerim said, taking the weapon in her arms, cradling it in the same way that she’d seen in movies and TV shows.

    “Have you ever used one of these before?”

    “No,” Yerim said, inspecting the weapon, running her fingers over the smooth wood of its body, and the cool metal of its limbs. The weapon was far from familiar to her, but holding it somehow felt... right.

    “Alright then, I’ll just guide you through it.” Seungwan said in a kind tone.

    And so, the auburn-haired girl began to explain. Seungwan was a surprisingly patient teacher, giving Yerim a rundown of each component of the weapon before instructing her on the proper way to hold it, showing her how to load a bolt into the barrel channel, letting her know how much recoil was to be expected, and assisting her in lining up her first target. Sooyoung took interest in Yerim’s impromptu lesson, adding in her own little tips and tricks here and there, but mostly just observing. Soon, Yerim was peering through the scope of the crossbow, focusing her attention on the tiny red mark at the center of the target.

    “Good… now take a deep breath, and pull the trigger. Remember, its gonna kick a bit, so brace your shoulder.” Seungwan advised.

    Yerim pulled the trigger and steeled herself. The stock kicked against her shoulder as the arrow was released with a sharp twang, sailing through the air and burying itself deep into the wood of the target, dead-center on the bullseye.

    “Wow!” Seungwan exclaimed as Sooyoung cheered in the background, shaking Yerim's shoulders from behind in excitement, “That was amazing!”

    Yerim smiled as her two friends congratulated her, their praise and genuine affection affording her a soothing, tickling emotion that rose within her body, filling her with an alien sense of happiness that she hadn’t experienced in a long time. It was a mixture of love and comfort and belonging, one that stayed with her as the three girls continued their target practice, competing with one another as the frozen time lay dormant around them, providing a reprieve from her woeful existence.

    For the first time in a long time, Yerim felt like she was home.

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Thanks for reading<3