Summary: Yuding was a young traveler who got lost in the forest. There she met a witch who only knew her as Yujin.

Word Count: 6050

Hashtag: #JinjooFiesta_Incandescences

Incandescences

A tall girl covered in a brown hooded cape walked around the village’s market. She wanted to restock her necessity for the next journey. She walked toward the bread seller and bought some. Actually, she meant to ask something, so she lowered her hood, showing her face. “Excuse me, do you know any way to go to the Nozi Village?” the tall girl asked.

The bread seller who had chubby cheeks answered, ”Nozi Village? There’s only one way to go to that village from here”. The tall girl’s face brightenrd, she immediately pulled out her map from her bag and showed the bread girl, as if she was waiting for the bread girl’s further instruction.

“Since we’re on the west side of this forest, you just have to pass through that forest to the east side. However, the forest is really vast and there are witches living there. It will be great if you don’t meet them on your way. They don’t really do something to us right now, but we have bad memories about those witches” the bread girl explained using her finger.

The tall girl nodded and gave the other girl money for the bread she bought. “Thank you, Ms. Tomi?” the tall girl guessed that from the cart’s name. They bid their goodbyes to each other and so the tall girl started her journey to the Nozi Village.

---

She kept looking at the map while walking in the forest, indicating that she really took the bread girl’s advice. She was about to cross a river when she heard ‘quack’ sound came from behind her. She looked back just to see a duck chasing a hamster? Just what was she looking right now? She had seen lions chasing their prey, but this was her first time seeing something interesting. She never knew that duck liked to eat hamsters…

The tall girl decided to follow the animals quietly. Even though the duck didn’t steal anything from the adventurer, she kept on following the duck just like when she chased a nameless goose for stealing her glasses months ago. She got her glasses back in the end, but now she got really jumpy of ‘quack’ sound.

After realizing that she had been thinking way too long, she had her attention back to the animals again. However, the duck and the hamster were nowhere to be seen. She lost them. Just before, the animals hid in the bush while the adventurer was waiting for them to get out.

She inspected the bushes and found something uncommon. “This kind of flower is not supposed to grow here…”. She looked at her surroundings and saw those flowers were planted all the way beside the road. She decided to see where this road would end. She felt like she was drawn. 

The more she walked into that direction, the more flowers she would see. She stopped her steps. Now she was in front of someone’s lawn. It’s not because of the beauty of the lawn that made her stop, but a pair of eyes that she looked into. Right, they were looking at each other right now.

The adventurer remembered about the witch, ‘She- She’s the witch’ she silently thought. She was about to run away when a root suddenly grew from the ground and bound her right ankle. It made the adventurer fall right away. 

The witch walked closer to the adventurer and the adventurer could feel herself getting scared the closer the witch got. “Yujin?” the witch suddenly said. 

“I’m not her, really! I’m Yuding, not Yujin. So please, I still want to live” Yuding desperately begged for her life. The witch made some gestures and the root started to unbind Yuding’s ankle and went under the ground. Yuding’s right ankle was bleeding because Yuding tried to break free before.

The witch who saw that sighed and offered a treatment. Uneasiness could be seen from Yuding’s face, once again the witch just sighed before saying something, “My name is Minjoo. Now we know each other’s names, no need to be scared. I’m not going to eat you”

Minjoo started helping Yuding to get up and brought her inside her house. After Yuding saw there are 2 beds, she remembered that there were more than 1 witch according to Tomi. Minjoo might not a bad witch, but what about the other one? Yuding couldn’t stop thinking about it. 

Now that Yuding had already sat on one of the bed, Minjoo took care of Yuding’s ankle. After wrapping it with enough bandage, she gave Yuding a bowl of soup. Of course Minjoo had to tell Yuding first that there was no poison inside the soup before Yuding finally took a sip of it. 

While Yuding was enjoying her food, Minjoo asked her something, “Are you somehow related to Yujin? Or maybe do you know her?”. Yuding raised her right hand, asking Minjoo to wait for a second because she was chewing the carrot inside the soup.

Minjoo couldn’t stop looking at Yuding. Blue hair, tall figure, and those illegal dimples. She looked exactly like Yujin. Yuding just swallowed her food and got ready to answer. “No, I don’t know her. My name does really similar to hers, but I’ve never heard of that name” Yuding said while wiping the area around with her hand. 

Minjoo still couldn’t believe Yuding, she even braced herself in case Yuding said that she was Yujin’s child. “To be honest, I don’t have any memories from my childhood. Suddenly I woke up in this body looking at the small paper where my name was written on it. I don’t even remember whether I have parents, friends, or a lover” Yuding explained.

Minjoo took one chair beside the table and sat on it facing Yuding, “Then how do you end up here?”

“I’m an adventurer. I thought if I visited the place I’m familiar with, I could remember something. However, until now, there’s no place like that. My next destination is Nozi Village” the atmosphere was gloomy now. 

Yuding stood up and stumbled a bit, “I think that I can still walk, so I will continue my journey. Thank you for the treatment and food you’ve given to me” Yuding packed her things and got ready to leave.

On the other side, Minjoo didn’t like the sensation she’s feeling right now. Minjoo was still curious about Yuding. Her backstory was confusing and no matter how many times Yuding had said that she’s not Yujin, Minjoo still couldn’t believe that. Minjoo had to do something. Minjoo had to make use of this situation to make Yuding stay, at least for a while. 

“Who said you can leave just like that? The treatment and the food, they are not for free. You have to pay me back, not by money. Help me manage this forest for a month and you can choose whether you want to stay or leave. You don’t have to worry, I will look after your food for a month” after Minjoo said that, Yuding couldn’t help but get scared again because it sounded like a threat. 

‘You are the one who hurt me…’ Yuding thought. Minjoo was about to say something and Yuding thought it was going to be, “I will eat you if you refuse”, but in reality Minjoo said, “The frogs told me that it’s going to rain in an hour. Just stay”

Yuding took the offer in the end. It’s not a bad choice, she wanted to take a break for a month before continuing. The food would be free after all. A living in the forest might be fun…

---

‘Why am I here?’ Yuding thought. She had been listening to Minjoo for a whole hour about ‘forest management’. “Anyway, that’s all I can say for the introduction part. Let’s get into the job, okay” Minjoo said. It’s only the introduction….

“We have different jobs every season. The trees and plants can adjust themselves, but the animals…. Anyway, let me explain” Minjoo continued.

Another hour had passed and only one season remained to be explained. ‘Why does she explain all 4 seasons? I’m going to live here only for this spring…. oh god’ Yuding kept complaining inside her head, yet she still understood Minjoo’s illustration.

“And for the last season, spring, which is right now. During spring, we don’t really have many requests, since it’s a time when they bloom, whether it’s their leaves, flowers, or love. Then what is our job? We will resolve the problems of love!” Minjoo said enthusiastically, especially the last part.

It made Yuding wonder if there’s another human or witch beside these ‘supposedly’ 2 witches. Because Minjoo was so excited to talk about love. Then Minjoo walked toward the main door of her house, there’s a box beside the door. 

She took 1 of them and returned to her position before, which was in front of me. “Let’s see” Minjoo said while ripping the envelope. Now Minjoo was reading the letter first. The way she focused, Yuding could tell that the handwriting was bad.

After 2 minutes passed, Minjoo lowered the letter she was holding. “Yuding, what do you think about a duck and a hamster?” Minjoo sounded really serious. “Hmm, th- they are animals, I guess?” and Yuding sounded really nervous. 

“That’s not what I mean. Do you think they make a good pair?” Minjoo asked again. Yuding tilted her head to the right. Did she hear it right?

“Here, have a look at this” Minjoo showed me the letter. 

Good morning/ afternoon/ evening since I don’t know when are you going to open this letter. 

Minjoo, I think I’m in love. I know that a fairytale between a duck and a hamster is not that common, but I won’t deny that there’s a possibility that our story will be sold out as a book. 

She got me quackINg in love at our first meeting and now I can’t quackOUT.

However, I think she hates me. Every time we walk about something, we always end up arguing. What should I do? Can you confirm her feeling for me? Because I think, I don’t have the courage to do so.

-Quack Yena- 

‘Ugh, the handwriting, now I know that the writer is a duck. Can I call this as ‘hand’writing?’

Yuding looked at the letter. “Anyway, what does quackINg and quackOUT mean?” Yuding emphasized the capital words.

“I think it’s supposed to be ‘quaking’ and I don’t know about the ‘out’ one” Minjoo answered. After all of that, Yuding just realized that Minjoo moved to the chair beside her and bent her body toward Yuding to discuss the letter with her. “If you lose your balance, you will fa-“ before Yuding could even finish her sentence, Minjoo fell toward Yuding’s direction. Yuding opened her arms and just like that Minjoo found herself in Yuding’s embrace.

“See? What if you fall toward the other direction? Just sit properly” Yuding said, but more like advising Minjoo. Maybe Yuding didn’t feel anything, but Minjoo’s heart was currently beating like crazy. She used to be hugged by Yujin like this and finally in 5 years, she got this warm feeling again.

“So, are we going to be like this all day?” Yuding asked. Minjoo quickly pulled herself back. “No, of course. Sorry” 

“What are you sorry for? Yuding asked, clearly her question before was just a joke. “But Minjoo? You can use magic, right? Like those plants thingy that bound my ankle yesterday. Do you usually use your magic for your jobs too? I can’t use them though, I don’t know whether I will be useful or not” Yuding bombarded Minjoo with many questions at once.

“No, you don’t have to worry. I minimize using my magic these days. I just need your judgement and decision to solve the problems” Minjoo said while standing up, preparing to go meeting the duck.

Yuding nodded a few times. When she was about to stand up, Yuding thought of something. “Minjoo~ you’re not going to help me? I’m wounded here” what Yuding didn’t expect was that Minjoo rushed over to Yuding. 

“Really? Should we take a break and start tomorrow?” Minjoo looked at Yuding’s eyes, waiting for an answer. Yuding was taken aback, she didn’t expect that her attack would eventually boomerang on herself. “Minjoo, you know what? I’m just kidding”

---

Now Yuding and Minjoo were walking toward Yena’s place, which was near the river exactly in the middle of the forest. Yuding was grimacing in pain on their way. Her forehead was red because of Minjoo’s flick.

Yuding knew now that she wouldn’t want to prank Minjoo again. At least, Yuding was thankful that Minjoo still talked to her.

They arrived at the place and Minjoo quickly called Yena over. When they saw Yena was coming, ‘Wow, she really is a duck…’ Yuding thought. Yena came without Yuri obviously, not wanting the hamster to know. 

Yena explained her story started from their first encounter, when she realized her feelings, and their situation now. While Yena was giving her explanation to Yuding and Minjoo, Yuding once again thought, ‘She really is a duck’. Yena’s lips were protruding enough to get Yuding’s attention.

“What do you think? Do you think she hates me?” Yena ended her explanation with questions. Yuding looked at Minjoo who was thinking right now. “How often do you meet with her?” Yuding asked Yena. 

“Hmm, we do meet every day, except for today. Why?” Yena asked Yuding back with a skeptical face. 

“Then can you not meet her for a week starting from today?” 

“Okay… I’ll miss her though” Yena looked down sadly. “Don’t worry, I have a plan” Yuding tried to cheer the duck up.

On their way home, Minjoo asked Yuding, “Do you really have a plan?”. “Yes, as long as everyone here knows about your ‘request box’, there’s nothing to worry about” Yuding grinned afterward. 

After waiting almost for a week, 6 days to be exact, a letter from Yuri the hamster came. Yuding had to confirm the truth before telling Yena. After reading it, Yuding asked Minjoo to accompany her to go to Yena’s place. 

Yuding told Yena to be brave and confessed her true feelings to the hamster now. The three of them moved to Yuri’s place.