Sorry for the late update guys DX life's been hectic

Sana can’t believe it.

It has never happened before.

Never!

“We did everything correct, right unnie?”

“Yeah, Tzuyu. The spirit… it’s just gone.”

“It’s not ‘cause it doesn’t want to talk either? It’s just gone? Just like that?”

“Yeah, Jeongyeon. It’s not in the house anymore.”

“It was there when we did our first experiments. Now it’s not here,” Tzuyu supplies to the others.

“What… does this mean…?” Nayeon is confused.

“It means, the house spirit that basically spends all it’s time attached to the house…. left. Just like that.”

“Did it move on or something?” Momo asks.

“… Not all of a sudden, it can’t have.”

“So what do we do now?”

“Now?” Sana checks her watch. They all do. It’s already nine pm, around the same time they were scared and getting ready for a movie last night. “Right now, Tzuyu and I will do the charms we said. Then we’ll have to go, but we’ll come back tomorrow morning. Start with a lil’ research.”

“We’ll help,” Jihyo says. “Research, exorcisms, whatever. We have to finish everything before the orientation week starts. And maybe even find a new place to stay if things don’t somehow work out with this house.”

“True.”

“Ugh, I thought everything was sorted out,” Jeongyeon ruffles her hair.

“I know right. I was looking forward to chilling out on the last few days of summer,” Nayeon follows Jeongyeon’s actions. Which don’t work for her, and her hair only gets tangled up because it’s longer and frizzier. That frustrates her even more.

🏠

Chaeyoung is in a town this time. Instead of trees, it’s grey skyscrapers. The sky is very much visible and it’s… purple.

Chaeyoung thinks it’s pretty. In a forlorn way.

She spots a café across the road. Maybe she should eat something.

She peers through the windows of the shops she passes. She realises that they’re all empty.

She realises the whole street is empty.

It’s just her.

“No, it’s not just you.”

Chaeyoung turns around. A girl is walking towards her… it’s the same girl from the forest!

“Hi!”

The girl stops beside her and considers her. Her eyes scan Chaeyoung’s everything.

Then she moves on.

“Hey! Hey-” she gets ignored.

“Are you mad at me?!”

Chaeyoung struggles to keep up with her pace.

“You danced really well, back there in the forest. I’ve never seen anyone dance like that. Your talent is jjang!”

The girl doesn’t reply. She looks straight ahead. Her hands are in the pockets of her long beige coat.

Chaeyoung notices her hair is actually red today. It was black the other day.

“Oh! Your hair! You dyed it.”

The girl finally gives her a glance and Chaeyoung grins.

But the glance was only brief. They arrive at the café and the ‘girl’ pushes the door open.

Chaeyoung follows her inside.

“Hey, by the way, I don’t even know your name. What’s your name? I’m Chaeyoung.”

Chaeyoung goes to her side and looks up expectantly for an answer. The ‘girl’ is taller than her- everyone in the whole world is, ugh- and she gets no attention.

Chaeyoung follows the girl’s gaze... to see it’s settled on an ahjussi bustling about behind the counter.

He’s so occupied with a thick book that he doesn’t see or hear them. They stroll up to him.

“Ahjussi,” the girl says.

He finally looks up. He smiles. “Ah, Mina.”

The girl smiles back. Chaeyoung is surprised to find it’s gummy. Her smile, that is.

So her name is Mina?

At least she found an answer.

“How do you do?”

“I’m fine, thank you. How do you do? And who is your friend here?”

Mina finally looks at Chaeyoung. Who shifts a little under her gaze.

“What’s your name?”

What. She just told her a minute ago.

Chaeyoung is not impressed. She turns to the ahjussi and replies to him herself.

“My name is Chaeyoung. I don’t really know her,” she chucks a thumb at Mina, “We just met a short while ago on the street.”

“She watched me dance yesterday.”

…Huh! Way to frame her a liar to the nice ahjussi she just met!

“Is that so?” The man has laughing eyes. The kind that disappear into tiny crescents, but you can still tell they’re pleasant.

Chaeyoung relaxes a little. “Ahjussi, is this bakery yours?”

“Yes dear, me and my wife’s. Now tell me, what would you like to eat?”

Chayoung glances down at the display counter. starts watering almost immediately. She battles with herself against ordering everything and settles for a blueberry shortcake.

“Right on!” The ahjussi says. “And you, Mina?”

“I’ll have a slice of cheesecake.”

“You must really like our cheesecake, that’s what you always ask for!” The man laughs. Mina laughs back.