Seoul

Monday, December 23rd, 2024

In Loving Memory

Of

Our Angel

JANG WONYOUNG

(August 31, 2004 – September 01, 2020)

Yujin put a bouquet of flowers and rubbed the headstone in front of her. She exhaled vigorously. The cemetery looks deserted. Besides her, there were only a few pilgrims who were visiting the cemetery. She stood staring at the sculpture carved on the tombstone, seems not really caring about the wind ruffling her hair. Yujin gaze looked blank, different from her usual daily look as an active and energetic kid. In this place, Yujin has always been herself, so freely showing her fragile side.

Her wound.

Wonyoung-ah... Yujin called out silently in her mind before saying the name verbally. Strange. Her tongue wasn’t used to saying Wonyoung’s name and made her speak again in her mind.

I don’t know if you could hear me or not, but I just want you to know that I’ll do something tonight. Yeah, I’ll do it on purpose. It feels like it’s been a long time since the last time I made trouble, so I guess it’s okay if I do it tonight.

Don’t scold me for this. I need an answer. I don’t know when I started to feel uncomfortable. You always come in my dreams even though I don’t want it. Everything happened so naturally. You look real. I thought I’d never see you again, but you came like a sign. This is crazy but I always feel that you are waiting for me. As if you asked me to come to you.

Do you still remember that I once said that I would always be able to find you? I will be by your side and always look after you. I know, I failed to do that. I failed to protect you. Instead, it was you who protected me. I know you will scold me if you know what crossed my mind now. But I believe you will understand my decision.

This is the fourth year without you. The fourth year since the last time you treated my injured. Since the last time since you hugged me and said everything would be fine. Since the last time you calmed me down and said it would all be over and we would live happily.

That’s not true, Wonyoung-ah...

Accepting the fact that you’re gone is my everyday battle. Every morning is like a hell... Every night is like a nightmare... You’re not here, how can I be happy huh?

You were the only one who understands me. You were the one who willing to be patient and stay by me side. You could calm me down the way only you knows how. Your tenderness and attention for me that no one could replace even until now. Four years without you, meeting you only in a dream is equal with having nightmare every night, because everything disappeared when I woke up. Now, I might be has gone crazy because of losing you, but really, I just want an answer. I can’t keep guessing and questioning everything, that’s why I’ll follow my heart now.

If what I’ve been thinking is true, then you could be the happiest dream ever. But if it’s wrong, I’ll make sure to keep searching you until I found you. I’ll do anything so I could be with you again, because I’m sure I could never let you go.

Wait for me, okay?

Yujin wiped her wet cheeks. Four years passed and she could not hold back her tears every time she came to this place. But before long she smiled at a ticket tucked into her passport.

Prague Vaclav Havel International Airport written as the destination of her departure.

***

Prague

Tuesday, December 24th, 2024

“Thank you for taking your time to meet me, Sharon-ssi.” Yujin bowed when the person she was waiting for now was sitting in front of her.

“You have traveled across the globe to see me in Christmas Eve. Ignoring you without knowing your reason to meet me is not fair to you.” Sharon Kim smiled warmly and Yujin could feel her anxiety slowly fade away. “What can I help you?”

“I want to ask you a few things.” Under the table, Yujin fiddled with her fingers, trying to hold her nerves.

“In the email you sent me, you told me if you were studying at the same university as me but I think we are in a different major and−”

“I know you are a Pillar.” Yujin interrupted quickly. She looked up and met with an unexpectedly calm expression before her. The older girl didn’t look confused at all or refute her words. Yujin immediately realized, from the beginning the girl already knew who she was.

“Y-you...” Yujin exhaled deeply. “Do you already know the reason I want to meet you?”

Sharon Kim shook her head.

“I can’t see the future and I don’t know why you are looking for me, but I was asked to wait and meet you if you want to meet me.”

“Who asked you? The Elder?”

“My Ruler.”

Yujin’s breath caught. Once again she tried to calm herself.

“Can all of The Rulers see the future?”

“Half of The Rulers and one of the Pillars in every circle, I think so,” Sharon Kim answered calmly without hesitation.

Yujin nodded at the info. “I don’t know who your Ruler is. All I know is that you are a Pillar, a pure-blood healer whose bonded to a pure-blood warrior. Literally, now you are in the highest hierarchy, right below The Ruler.”

“You’re wrong.” The older girl shook her head still with a smile on her lips. “I’m not in the highest hierarchy right now.”

Yujin frowned. As long as she knows, the highest hierarchy in the gifted child occurs when a pure-blood of The Pillar i