Umji was looking at her almost empty plate. 

• Yuju, I think we will have to go to the village market. 

Yuju who was quietly eating lifted her head up and furrowed her eyebrows. 

• I can’t today. she responded. I have to go and hunt. 

• I know but it has been days now and every time it’s the same. You don’t find anything to hunt. 

• Yes but maybe today I will be lucky.  

Umji nodded but she wasn’t convinced. 

• Anyway we still need to go to the village market. I mean look at our stock. We will soon have nothing to cook even a soup. 

• Well, then I will go tomorrow. 

• No, you don’t need to do so. I am going today to the village supermarket. 

Suddenly, Yuju dropped her spoon and stood up while widening her eyes.

• Are you out of your mind ?! You can’t go there. Should I remind you how badly they have treated you ? 

Umji sighed not because of angriness but because she knew that Yuju was right. The village was seeing her as some kind of witch who only brings bad luck. That’s because she is rumored to have survived for a long time in a wild forest when she was only a little child. The truth is that she couldn’t even question that rumor as she was too young to remember any of this. But for her, she was adopted by some  very old shepherd couple who, when they knew they would die, had given Umji to the village. Because that’s what a part of the village said. However those people - surely because they were defending Umji - disappeared one day from the village and that’s when Umji’s problems started. Lots of family sheltered her but she was never loved by them. They were resenting her by telling their children not to speak with her nor touch her. People said that they would kill her when she would turn sixteen year old. Hopefully Umji was still fifteen year old when she met Yuju the daughter of some storekeepers. They were living a little bit far from the village and now Umji was seventeen years old and still alive. The two girls have lived together for two years. As Yuju’s parents were storekeepers, they were all the time abroad. But the problem was that it had been three years since the last time Yuju has seen them - Umji has never encountered them. So Yuju thinks that they died. Umji was never going out because Yuju wouldn’t let her as it wasn’t safe. But Umji insisted for having a little walk in the forest every morning at the dawn. Yuju eventually let her but Umji has to wear a cape and hides her head under it hood in order to do it. Besides Yuju, Umji never meet other people. That’s why meeting SinB, who was obviously different from the others as she wasn’t seeing Umji as a cursed and demonic person, marked her - but in a good way. The problem was seeing SinB leaving: Umji tried not to think about it because the pain would resurface every time she does. 

Umji had teary eyes maybe because she couldn’t help but think about the girl. Yuju noticed it and went back to her seat. Then she took Umji’s hands in hers. 

• Hey, Umji don’t cry. I won’t let us die from hunger. I promise you I will do everything in my possible. Especially you, Umji, I won’t let you stay hungry like how they treated you. 

Umji lifted up her head and looked right into Yuju’s eyes. She wasn’t aware of the power she could have on Yuju: how Yuju was getting soft all of sudden just because of some sad facial expression. She couldn’t see either all the love contained in Yuju’s eyes. Yet, Umji was still really thankful to the one who definitely saved her life and offered - or at least was trying to offer her - a better life. 

Umji nodded in response as she wiped her tears. She knew that it was bad of her to let Yuju think that she was crying because of the food scarcity while it was actually because of SinB’s departure. 

Yuju stood up and approached her without dropping Umji’s hands. She then made Umji stood up and guided them towards the couch. 

• Have a rest, Umji. I will see you tonight. As always, don’t go out, okay ? said Yuju 

Umji nodded with a little smile. Yuju kissed her forehead before leaving the house. As she heard the door closed, Umji whispered: 

• I am sorry Yuju. 

…

SinB wasn’t really feeling well and the woman noticed it.

• Calm Snow … are you okay ? You are pale. She said as she served SinB breakfast. 

SinB nodded before writing something on the paper. 

• Oh you didn’t sleep well. Was the room too cold ? asked the woman after reading the paper. 

SinB shook her head before writing again. 

• Oh just a nightmare well it happens. You can go back to sleep then. said the woman with a reassuring smile. 

SinB shook her head. She still wanted to help them in the village market. SinB ate her breakfast then she wrote a thank you and went to her room to prepare herself. She looked at herself in the mirror: her hair was still blond and her eyes blue. She was still amazed and confused about that as, for her, she won’t need those power anymore in the life she was living now. However, she quickly disregarded it as she put some casual and warm clothes on her. Then, she left her room. 

• Oh you still want to go to the market ? You know I can take care of the business, you don’t need to do it. 

SinB shook her head and the woman understood. 

• Ok as you want but if you don’t feel well go home and I will take the relay. I will see you for the dinner then. said the woman before giving SinB a hug. 

SinB felt warm by the woman’s action. She then headed towards the village market. Like the other days, people were trying to negotiate the price as they judged it too expensive. But SinB had no choice, the food was getting scarce and she had to follow the instructions. She couldn’t lower the price that much. Negotiation was the most difficult part as SinB couldn’t speak, she had to write everything which wasn’t making communication easier. But often people would give in in the end and pay it the price SinB wanted them to. It was weird as it felt like she just hypnotized them as sometimes they would change their mind too suddenly. Her stand was one of the most animated. And sometimes it wasn’t for her products that the people would come. No, there were also those stares. SinB tried to ignore them but sometimes they were too heavy so much that it was making her uncomfortable. And this time againn she had in front of her another weird person. Well, it was maybe because of the clothes that person was wearing. She couldn’t even see that person’s face. SinB was scared but then she heard a sweet female voice: 

• How much is this ? said the person as she pointed to the meat. 

SinB began to write the price. 

• Oh why are you written it ? asked the person. 

SinB was taken aback. That girl was the first person who asked her about why she was writing. SinB guessed that that girl wasn’t a villager as she was pretty sure that everybody in the village knew about her « being » mute - the news spread quickly there even if the village is not that small.

So she added « I am mute » on the paper. 

• Oh I see … But I find it fascinating how a mute person can be a seller whereas it is commonly known that the sellers are people being a bigmouth. said the girl while chuckling. 

SinB felt really confortable even if she couldn’t see her face - and from the way her head was lowered it was impossible for the girl to see SinB’s face either. Her voice was sweet and it reminded SinB of a lullaby and maybe of someone’s voice but she couldn’t put a name on it. 

Suddenly SinB got curious and wrote on the paper « Why are you hiding your face ? ». The girl looked at the paper and then she replied: 

• Well, if you don’t speak. I bet you can keep a secret too. she said as she lifted her head. 

The girl widened her eyes so much it was as if she had seen a ghost. And with her next words it was SinB’s turn to widen her eyes: 

• Calm Snow ? said the girl as she took off the scarf covering . 

Even with that hoodie, it was just impossible for SinB not to recognize that face. 

• Umji ?! said SinB and it was loud enough for the villagers to look at her with wide eyes. 

-------------

CHAPTER 11 done 

We know a little about Umji in the chapter. 

What do you think will happen ? 

GFRIEND SUNRISE MV IS SO AMAZING  !!!!  I don't know how many times I have clicked on the replay button.

Anyway thanks guys 

xoxo