Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Slice of Life

Summary: Minjoo desires to be one of the most powerful mage there is. Not until she met Ahn Yujin, who dreams of becoming an imperial demon knight hunter like her father who once lead the imperial army. But the thing is, they both started off in the wrong page when they first met.

Word Count: 17539

Hashtag: #JinjooFiestaS3_WarSonata

War Sonata

"FALL BACK!"

Yujin gritted her teeth when another demon once again slipped passed the boarder that separates their army from the unending and nonstop spawn of those hideous creatures that once raided her village from when she was young, and at the same time killing her family, leaving her to suffer alone.

"Yujin, I said fall back!" Their captain shouted, now directed towards their youngest, but also the fiercest out of the remaining in their army.

"I heard you the first time!" Yujin shouted back after firing at the throat of another demon who dared to ignore her to head directly towards the gate of the empire that they're risking their lives protecting.

"Yujin!"

"Tsk." Yujin ran with all her might when the boarder that was protecting them, the imperial army, the empire, the Queen, and her, finally cracked, showing the massive destruction of the demons who were trying to break in.

"Sir! The Queen has commanded for everyone to fall back to the empire's sanctuary!" Chaeyeon, one of Yujin's comrades she had gotten closer with over the past months that the war had been going, informed as them who remains alive in the imperial army— while already a thousand times more outnumbered by the demons—runs towards their only way back before the boarder gives in and breaks, giving way for the dreadful demons to conquer them.

"You're kidding, right?! If we fall back now then we'd just be surrounded!"

"And you think we won't be surrounded here? Look around you, Yujin! The moment that boarder breaks, everything that we’ve been fighting for till now would just be useless!"

Yujin clenched her jaw but remained unfazed by the roaring of the demons that were going berserk for the defeat of them mortals.

"If Yena was here-"

"If Yena was here she'd do as the Queen says! She didn't risk her life trying to protecting you just for you to throw your life away! Don't let her sacrifices be futile."

Yujin remained silent and just ran with all her might. Kaeun, their empire's portal keeper was waiting for them ahead, anxiety and panic present on her expression as the roaring of the massive army of demons behind them seems to have just doubled.

If retreating for now was the best option as per the queen said, then so be it. She can't risk losing now.

She can't risk dying.

Not when she lost a friend who risked her life protecting her.

Not when Minjoo was waiting for her to get back to her arms.

She can't risk dying knowing that her lover is home waiting for her to come back alive.

She can't risk it.

As the boarder finally broke down, the portal closes, giving them a final glimpse of the ruins they have to leave behind for the demons have finally got the advantage of conquering humanity.

----

Every summer they'd meet at the place Yujin calls her home.

Not really, it was Yujin's go to place whenever she feels down or just to practice the playing of her violin.

Yujin wears an eye patch after the village where she used to live with her family was attacked by those repulsive demons that were lurking around at that time.

None of them were prepared for what would have transpired at that moment. One minute Yujin was having a delightful meal with her family, and then the next, she was already clutching her right eye where a debris had scratched her, crying as she cradles the unmoving bodies of her parents and older brother.

She was 9 when that incident occur and boy can she recite a whole book with just how much she loathes those sickening creatures.

That was all in the past now, though. It had been 2 years since then, but the pain and memory remained fresh.

Though the wound had already turned into an awful looking scar, she still wears an eye patch because every time she looks at herself in the mirror, and every time she sees her reflection, she's reminded of the moments she'd never get to have with her family ever again.

Because every time she sees herself, she's reminded of the present and future she'll never get to spend with her loved ones.

"Ah! So you were the one producing that horrible sound!"

Yujin abruptly stopped playing her violin when another kid, a girl her age wearing a flowery dress came into view and startled her.

"Wh– excuse me?"

One word to describe the girl is that she was rude.

"Seriously, your violin looks so lavish and yet you can't even properly play it? What a waste."

Yujin's mother always tells her to be friendly and respectful towards everyone she meets no matter what their age is. But the kid currently in front of her who seems to be an offspring of a very opulent family is one of those people who doesn't deserve the respect they ought they should be getting.

"And who are you to judge m–"

Her sentence was once again cut off when the girl went towards her, getting a hold of her bow and hand while fixing the positioning of her fingers on the fingerboard.

"You should be holding it like this. The way you were holding it earlier made it seem like you're trying to strangle someone. And you should be sliding the bow gently and smoothly on the strings, not scraping it. Geez. You've gotten all the notes right but you're very off-tune."

That she didn't expect. But still.

"Wow, and you're suddenly my teacher?" Yujin sarcastically said even when she feels flabbergasted and embarrassed.

"You're welcome."

Strike one.

"Get lost, whoever you are." Yujin said in a spiteful manner. She did keep in mind however what the girl said.

"I already am lost, doofus."

Strike two.

"Well, then find your way out of here or something!"

And Yujin began playing her violin that resounded inside the forest, birds flying from their nest into the sky as soon as they heard the screeching sound of the instrument being played by the youngster.

"YAH! Are you trying to deafen every creature there are that resides here?"

A groan and Yujin finally glared at the girl who seems to be covering her ears as if she had heard a very horrible sound.

"What are you still doing here? I said find your way out already! You're so annoying."

"As I've said, I got lost here and now I don't know how to get back. Tss, my first time going out and I get lost. Great. What's with your eye patch anyways? Are you trying to look cool like Odin?"

Strike three, final blow.

Young Yujin dropped her instrument and lunged herself at the frozen adolescent who's surprised by the sudden change of demeanor of the musician.

"You came here to disrupt my peaceful time just to insult me!" First blow. "You even dare call me a doofus?!" Second blow. "And now you think I'm trying to look cool by wearing this eyesore of an eye patch?" Third blow, and the girl beneath her let out a clamorous laugh. Yujin stopped and huffed to give a final glare at the wheezing girl before standing up to get her violin to put it back into its case before leaving the place.

"Hey, wait for me!" Still the laughter didn't die down until they were 10 minutes in to their walk, and Yujin keeps on wishing for the girl to stop following her.

A sigh, and Yujin stopped walking and was about to turn around when a figure bumped to her back.

"Will you please stop following me? I'll really give you a scratch so big that your parents would hunt me down if you won't stop."

"Look, I know we started off in the wrong page earlier, but I really need to get home before the sun sets, okay? So, I'm sorry, just please take me out of here before my parents really do send their cavaliers to search for me."

"What? Cavaliers? So, you're telling me that you, a daughter of a real opulent family, came to insult me like what a usual wealthy girl would, and is now bearing a few red spots because of me, actually has no manners? Mercy, what do they teach you with all those money that they have."

"Okay, first of all, it was you playing that brought me to that location. Second, I've never heard someone play the violin as dreadful as you. Third and last, I was hoping to spot an adult playing the said instrument, but lucky me, yay, I happen to stumble upon a peasant."

The girl, seeing the glare of the short Yujin nervously let out a chuckle before clearing and fixing her posture like how a proper lady would.

"Anyways, I implore of your kindness to please get me out of here. If I don't get out of here soon, then who knows when I'll be able to get this freedom once more."

How great. A stuck up daughter of a tycoon who got lost on their very first stroll day out in the open is annoyingly following her.

Yujin proceeds to just stare at her. Unnerving the confidence that the stranger had muster up just to lower down her pride and apologize. Yujin rolled her eyes and turned back to continue her trudging with the triumphant smiling girl following closely behind.

----

"Aren't your ears getting tired of your violin's scary screeches? Cause mine are seriously about to fall off. Salute to yours for still being intact." Minjoo, the girl who Yujin finally learns the name after 3 whole days of bothering her by pretending to get lost in the forest and claiming to have heard the horrible noise which leads her path to the playing Yujin, said.

"My ears are perfectly fine, thank you. However, these past few days they seem to have been hearing a very annoying buzz sound. I think it started last week. Hmm, a pretty annoying bee if I may add." Yujin said with a straight face

"Bee? I don't see any hives around here, though. Are you sure it's a bee?" Minjoo asked, clueless as to what the shorter girl is pertaining to.

"One hundred percent sure it's an annoying bee."

They sat around in silence with Yujin cleaning and shining her violin and Minjoo casually looking around the place.

"So, you never told me why you got that eye patch. Did you lose an eye or something? And why are you always here. Won't your parents be worried that their probably youngest daughter is out in the open?"

Yujin stiffened and took a deep breath before facing the prosperous child.

"You really are an annoying bug, you know that?"

"I–"

"It's almost nightfall. You should head back to the village."

----

A month later and Yujin can say that she had already gotten accustomed of seeing Minjoo in her usual haven already sitting on a trunk of a tree while trying to whistle out a random tune that she hopes could somehow get the birds to play with her.

"Wait, if you have both eyes, then why wear an eye patch in the first place?" Minjoo asked while shoving a branch out of her way while following the leading Yujin.

"I had a scar from an accident years ago, and I hate seeing it."

"A scar? Oh, oh! I can remove it for you!" Yujin stops at her track and looked back at Minjoo with an 'are you kidding?' look.

"I mean, I'm not sure if it would work since I'm still a year behind before I'm taught how to use proper magic, but my mother taught me how to at least heal myself if ever I get a wound or something."

"Your mother can use magic?"

Minjoo vigorously nodded and pulled the short girl with her in a much more opened area.

"So, your family has a lineage of mages?"

"Hmm, not really, no. It's only I and my mother who can use magic. My father and sister can't. Sit." Minjoo said in a rush, clearly excited about using her magic.

Yujin anxiously sat on a large trunk of a tree and looked at the giddy Minjoo that's squatting in front of her. "Are you sure it would work? I mean, you've already said it yourself earlier. You're still a year behind before you get taught." If Yujin was nervous, then Minjoo just got a lot more excited confident.

"Don't worry! I've tried it to myself a few times over the years, and it works every day."

"Now, unveil to me thy crucial scar!" Minjoo exclaimed, hands ready.

Yujin hesitatingly reached for the back of her head to untie the eye patch. It's not like she trusts Minjoo, but are there any other options? The girl was already stuck on her hip.

A gasps, and Yujin was ready to put it back if not for Minjoo caressing the scar like a new born baby, making Yujin shy.

"W–what now? Won't you use your magic already? Hurry up." Yujin stuttered.

Minjoo snapped out from staring too much and proceeded to do her magic. Her hand glows a light of white and Yujin closed her eyes due to the warm sensation that she's currently feeling on the right side of her face.

After a few seconds or so, the sensation stopped, and Yujin heard a silent squeal from Minjoo before it turned into a full out celebration of success.

"It worked! It worked, it worked, it worked!"

Yujin opened her eyes and touched the part where her scar used to be at, but felt nothing at all, just a normal smooth texture of her skin that her hand touched.

Yujin grinned and stood up to hug the still celebrating mage.

"Thank you, so much!"

Without noticing it, Yujin was already crying.

Minjoo saw it but didn't bother asking, afraid of ruining the euphoria that the young one was currently feeling.

"Don't worry. I'll help keep your darkness away from you."

----

"Huh? You mean to tell me that it was the first time you actually tried healing someone other than yourself?!" Yujin exclaimed, terrified of the information she just found out. Minjoo sheepishly smiled at her and stuck her tongue out.

"Unbelievable." Even if Yujin looks like she's scared for her life after finding out that Minjoo decided to experiment on her on the spot that day, a few months back, she was still grateful to the older girl for she doesn't have to bear being reminded of her dark days anymore.

"At least it worked!" Yujin rolled her eyes and continued to play her violin, Minjoo already used to the horrible sound.

"You never told me how you got that scar, by the way. Ah, how I wish I could also cure your tone-deafness."

Yujin stopped playing and looked at Minjoo who's curiously looking up the sky.

"The village I used to call home was attacked by those demons 2 years ago." Came Yujin's dreading answer.

Minjoo seems to not believe it when she almost snapped her neck trying to take a look at the shorter girl.

"You're serious?"

Yujin almost scoffed but held back herself.

"If only I was joking."

"And the violin?"

"It was the only thing that remained preserved during the attack. Everything else was burned and turned to ashes. If not burned then it’s broken." Yujin answered more solemnly.

Minjoo didn't ask her anymore questions and just took the violin from her grasp after that.

----

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Yujin asked while trying to pluck a red apple from the tree that Minjoo's currently leaning on.

"I want to be a very powerful mage! How about you, Yudings?"

Minjoo closed the book she was reading and paid attention to the sun beaming at them from above.

"Probably become an imperial knight or something. I always wanted to be part of the imperial army but pops said it's too dangerous for little me to be in it." Yujin huffed out, growing tired from jumping too much while sweat drips from her forehead. "Lend me a hand will you? You're the one who wanted an apple in the first place." Yujin whined and sat beside the giggling Minjoo.

"You volunteered remember? Claiming it would help you grow taller." Minjoo teased and stood up, dusting her dress and jumping with ease to get the said fruit.

"Get one for me too." Yujin said, drained.

Minjoo incredulously looked at Yujin before jumping once again to pluck another apple.

"Ah, right, before I forgot, I'm about to start schooling to be a proper mage."

Yujin nodded in delight before getting her violin to play a piece.

"I'll be turning 13 next week, I almost forgot again. Then school starts two months from then on."

"Next week is your birthday?"

"Hmm, yeah. It was also my birthday when we first met. Woah, it's been a year then."

"Wait, so that means..."

"It was your birthday that time?!"

"Hm? I mean, yeah?"

Minjoo almost bursts out laughing with the expression the younger girl was currently putting on.

"And to think that you were so cruel to me that time." A followed up sigh and Minjoo wore her best crestfallen look.

Yujin knelt and almost beg for forgiveness when she remembered the way MInjoo first approached her.

"Excuse me? But you were the one who acted very rude upon meeting me?"

And so went their usual bickering scenario.

----

Not everything is all sun shines and rainbows as they say.

The day came when Minjoo finally became a rookie mage by age in the magic law.

However, instead of spending it together with her family like a how a normal offspring should have been, she decided to go with Yujin to stroll around the other area in the forest where she still has yet strolled.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Yujin asked for the nth time, nervous, but happy at the same time.

"You've been asking that for the past 30 minutes or so. Just trust me on this, okay? I asked my parents to celebrate my birthday a day early, so you don't have to worry about me missing out spending time with my family because I've already done that yesterday with them." The mage explained.

Yujin sighed and clutched the handle of the violin case a lot tighter. It's not that she doesn't want to spend the day with Minjoo, it's just the area that they're currently roaming around is rumoured to be the best place were demons lurk around to kill its prey.

If anything happens to the both of them, then she's done for because then she'd just be blaming herself till her very last breath on earth.

Besides, if anything were to happen to Minjoo, her only friend and companion in life, then she doesn't how she'll be able to live her life in peace ever again. Minjoo was all she has now and she swears she won't let anything bad happen to her.

Not on her watch, at least.

Yujin stopped when Minjoo tugged at her arm.

She didn't even notice that Minjoo had already taken her place as the leader and was walking in front of her for who knows how long already.

"Yujin..."

"Minjoo? What is it?"

Yujin felt Minjoo's hand trembling, and before she could even look at what caused the older girl to be frozen like that, she heard a terrorizing screech coming from in front of them.

And the least she wished and expected to see happens to come by in reality.

"Yujin..."

Yujin could tell that Minjoo was already tearing up with the way her voice wavered when she called out the former's name the second time.

"It still hasn't noticed us yet. If we make a run before it sees us then for sure we'd be able to escape from it, okay? So, trust me and take a deep breath. I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you." Yujin carefully pulled Minjoo behind her, her eyes not leaving the demon currently in front of them.

"When I count to three we'll both run,"

"1,"

"2,"

"3. Run." Yujin said under her breath, her arm getting tugged by Minjoo who took on running.

The second their running was heard, though, the demon had picked up the sound and had caught sight of them, it rapidly running towards their direction.

"Don't look back, Min. Just keep running forward, we got this!" Yujin shouted, already out of breath. She looked around their surroundings to see if there's at least a way for the demon to slow down, but to no avail, none seems to have any help.

As long as Minjoo makes it out alive, then everything was fine.

"When we get to a clearer area that's near the village, I want you to shout for your cavaliers, okay?"

Yujin received no response, but it was clear that Minjoo got the message when she starts speeding up.

Yujin knows that Minjoo does, too, what the consequences to the both of them would be once Minjoo's family find out that she had been running off into the forest for the past year to meet up with Yujin.

So, run they go until Minjoo tripped over a trunk.

Yujin hissed and tried pulling Minjoo up, but it was already too late.

The beast was just a few meters away from them. Still, Yujin invigorated Minjoo to continue running.

But Minjoo was scared.

Seeing as how the dreadful demon was looking at them with its fiery black eyes and mouth salivating with its sharp and uneven teeth showing as it gets nearer and nearer, it proved to be a lot harder to move when the moment Minjoo looked into its eyes, she saw her life flash by in a second.

"MINJOO!" Yujin shouted and brought out her violin.

Yujin stood in front of Minjoo just as the petrifying creature has its claw already up in the air and was aiming directly at Minjoo.

Yujin gritted her teeth in pain as its claw made its contact with her arm, its target protected.

"FIGHT SOMEONE YOUR OWN SIZE!" Though with a numbing and bleeding arm, Yujin smashed her violin on the ground and quickly stabbed the demon on its neck, killing it in seconds as it disappears into thin air.

Minjoo covered with both hands and finally let out a sob seeing just how much blood was dripping from her friend's left arm.

Yujin finally let out a sigh of relief and smiled before turning to look at Minjoo who was already crying on the ground.

"Wh– hey, Minguri. Are you hurt? D–did it touch you?" Yujin asked already panicking.

Minjoo just continue to sob, the fear of almost losing her dearest friend still present at the moment. How was Yujin able to still ask her all that when she was the one bleeding?

"You're so stupid..," Minjoo mumbled which was heard by Yujin who smiled knowing what might be the cause of the girl's downcast emotion.

Yujin patted Minjoo's head and smiled, completely unaware of her skin changing colours and her energy depleting.

She was comforting Minjoo and then the next Minjoo's scream was heard all over the forest as she hits the ground.

----

Yujin woke up almost a week after that ferocious accident.

The healer of their village said that the lavish kid's scream was heard throughout the whole village that it didn't take that long for them to spot the two youngsters.

Yujin was then handed a case which seems to be a new set of violin with a note that says 'I'm sorry.'

Of course, the violin was part of the reason why Minjoo bawled her eyes out. She knew that it was Yujin's mother's violin after all. And Yujin had to break it just to save the both of them from the demon.

Yujin was also informed that her arm was healed by a mage, so she should only be feeling a slight numbness and pain when using it for a few days, and of course, a scar was inevitable to be removed since it was caused by a demon.

So, when Yujin went out from the cabin, she was curious as to why there was a crowd forming in front of the Kim's manor.

When Yujin got to the front and saw what the ruckus was about, she didn't hesitate calling the name of the family's eldest progeny.

"Minjoo? What's going on? Are you… leaving?"

Minjoo, who wasn't expecting for Yujin to have already woken up, tears up and looks at her parents, who seem to be busy talking to the manor's housekeepers. She approached Yujin and gave her a quick hug before briefly explaining her side of the issue.

"My parents found out that I've been wandering alone without the cavaliers assigned to me, and since I am of age already to start learning magic, they decided to apply me to an academy far, far away from here." She solemnly explained. But Yujin had other things in mind.

"You were planning to leave without telling me?" Yujin's voice cracked, but she remained unfazed when she saw how Minjoo stiffened.

"I promise to come back every summer, Yudings."

Yujin teared up, realizing that someone she holds dearly would be leaving her again.

"I thought you'd help in chasing away the darkness that keeps haunting me. But, why are you part of it now?"

"Yujin–" As Minjoo was still about to explicate things more clear to Yujin, she was called by her father who seems to have been losing sleep for the past days.

"I– I have to go,” She said in a hushed tone. “ But I promise I'll come back every summer for you, okay? I promise."

Minjoo smiled forcefully at the unblinking and stoned face Yujin before turning around to head towards the carriage that's currently waiting for her.

A tear rolled and Yujin clutched the violin case.

She didn't even properly said goodbye.

----

Minjoo kept her promise of returning every summer.

They were, as always, glued to each other's hips, Minjoo tearing up the moment she saw Yujin and her arm that bears a scar because of her recklessness a year ago.

Yujin's eyes at that time almost reached Minjoo's nose, just below where the latter's eyes would form a frown every time she squints her eyes.

Every day they were there, in the forest, but with a cavalier or two in a distant not too far, but also not too near as to not invade their privacy and ruin their time with each other.

Yujin can't really bring Minjoo around the forest anymore ever since that fatal day. All they can do now is wander around the places they've already been at that's not too far from any exits from the forest.

The academy, as per se of Minjoo, was full of those bratty and want to be a great mage in the near future, but so full of arrogant, bunch of kids.

"And you don't consider yourself a kid like them?"

Came Yujin's quick remark.

----

The next summer came by and as if distance never really existed in the first place, they went on with how they would usually spend the day with each other.

Summer, and another summer, Yujin became a rookie demon hunter that's placed in the C-Rank batch.

Yujin, already 15, turning 16 in a few months, waited for the petit bourgeois.

Yujin grew impatient, but waited nonetheless. Bringing out her violin, she began playing a piece taught by none other than Minjoo (who in fact, just stole the music sheets from her sister and decided to bring it to Yujin for the latter to learn) from years ago.

Yujin sat on the tree trunk and let out a disappointed sigh, looking at the luminous orange at the sky that signals the setting of the sun.

'She'll come tomorrow, I guess.'

Minjoo didn't come to their haven the whole summer with a bummed and disappointed Yujin playing much worse the whole time she was coming.

'Maybe next year.'

And Minjoo never showed up the next summer, and the next, and then the next, until Yujin gave up waiting for the older girl to return, stopping, and not keeping track of how much times has passed since she had seen her dearest friend.

----

A shot, and Yujin put her gun back to its holster tied on her back.

"And that's that for this quest."

Yujin, now 21, a classified S-Class demon hunter, and the best sharpshooter there is to exist in the whole land, wiped her hand on her pants before checking to see the time on her vintage pocket watch.

"Nice job as always, Ahn! It'd be a real big waste if the empire won't scout you to be part of the imperial army." Yena, a close comrade, or her closest friend, cheered and slaps her on the back where her gun was placed, making the other demon hunter winced in pain as her hand seems to go in shock because of the impact.

"I still have a long way before that happens, while you should be getting a scroll any day now. You've been an S-Class hunter now for what? 3 years? Always travelling around the land and all that."

The pair made their way back to the great hall of the small town where they had a quest to hunt down the lurking demons in the great cavern of the said place.

"Ey, even if that were to happen I don't think my sweetheart would let me, though."

"There you go again with your dearest beloved of a sweetheart. The least you could do is to show me a picture, you know? Or give me a name just to confirm that they are indeed real, and you are not just hallucinating."

"When the day comes, I'll show you what she really looks like. Oh, and, just so you know, I'm not coming with you to your village. My beloved is expecting for my return, and just between the two of us, I might plight one's troth once I've returned."

Yujin looked at the hunter in shock who only winked at her in return.

When they've returned to the town, the mayor was glad for the peace they've prevailed and granted them the agreed amount award.

----

They set off to their path to return back to their respective homes, one to a person, and the other to a place.

"Right, remember that childhood friend of yours you've told me about?"

Yujin hummed, eyes looking straight ahead at their path.

"I've heard from somewhere that their family’s carriage passed by the area yesterday while we were out hunting."

"Is that so?"

"Why aren’t you looking at least a bit interested? Aren't you glad that you'll see her again?"

Yujin hummed again.

Truth be told, Yujin has long stopped waiting for the said girl to return.

One day, she stopped hoping and waiting to the point that when she became a B-Class demon hunter, she made it as a distraction and replacement for the shallowness that was left in her heart when her friend had broken her promise.

She can't really blame Minjoo, though. She was the eldest daughter of one of the wealthiest family in the whole land. She was the heir, a successor, so of course she was bound with duties and responsibilities.

Even when Yujin can sense that there were other reasons as to why the girl never returned, she can't bring herself to hold a grudge against the older girl.

In short, perhaps what Yena had said caught her attention.

"Well, this is where we part ways, old friend. Take care on your way back, and send my safe regards to Mama Pie."

"Will do. Have fun kneeling on the dirt and maybe losing the ring? Who knows? Take care, too."

And they part ways, both finally riding their horses to head back to their so-called homes.

----

When Yujin got to their village's capital, a crowd of hunters who happened to be there after shopping from the market greeted her.

"Oi, master! Welcome back!" A B-Class, if Yujin remembers clearly, named Wonyoung said.

"Back at it again with the master?"

Yujin dismounted her pal and gave the leash to a nearby hostler after nodding to each and every hunter present at the moment.

"How was the quest this time?"

"So-so. Apparently, the people of that town had long been starving since they can't mine off some gold to trade for some sustenance and have been eating sea foods for the past months or so. Moreover, their coasts have been of no presence of any sea creatures as of the moment."

"Why didn't they just skim past it? There are plenty of fishes in the sea away from the coast."

"Their town is called 'Home of the Deadly Waves' for a reason, dimwit. They may have full access and control of the water resources that goes around in our land, but that doesn't mean that they are safe to just go around sailing across the deadly waves of the sea." Yujin explained, walking towards their village's bakery with Wonyoung and her peers on her tow.

Entering the opened store, the aroma of freshly baked bagels, and different kinds of breads made its way to Yujin's sense of smell.

"Mama Pie, I'm back!" Yujin giddily shouted, catching the attention of some people inside who smiled as if they are already used to the hunter's tactics (which they are, in fact), and went back to chatting with each other while taking a bite on their meal.

"Ara~ danchou!" An old woman emerge coming from the kitchen, or as the old woman would like to call it as galley due to her historical background, and hurriedly made her way towards the S-Class hunter.

Mama Pie, or known as Mi Kyung, and an ex-Marine Traveler who used to live on the Verglas mountains where people have a pretty diverse language spoken, is an old woman who had taken a liking to the youngster when she saw the young hunter sitting alone in front of a specific manor during one stormy night, and of course, being the kind hearted woman that she is, she took the lass under her wing.

"Are you hungry? Do you want your usual chocolate filled bread?" The woman asked with a foreign accent still lingering at the end of her sentence.

"Yes please!" Though, already a grown adult that carries a primeval gun of a sharpshooter hunter, Yujin is not the type to not show her childish traits especially to the woman who saved her from starvation when she was losing hope years ago.

----

The forest is still the same since the last time she visited which was almost 2 months ago before she went to her quest with Yena.

Their tree, her tree is still there, standing tall and firm, rooted on the ground while buried a good hundred feet beneath her.

Nothing beats home when nostalgia hits you like a squall.

With her violin case in hand, Yujin removed her baldric and placed it on top of a slab she had brought a year ago.

Just like any other days that had passed, Yujin engrossed herself with her instrument that not only reminded her of her childhood, but also of someone very dear to her.

----

Yujin dreams of one of her memories when she was still a carefree and wild child.

A fragment from before the tragedy strikes, to be more precise.

She finds herself laughing with her family as her brother chase her around the table, their parents watching them with such an adoring expression as they prepare for supper with food being served one by one that were cooked by them both.

Yujin smells the nostalgia with the food served on the table.

Something struck her heart when she saw just how happy she was with her family. Everything seems to be bizarre. A scene from a fairy tale that didn't get to have its own happy ending. A pure euphoric moment that she wishes to last forever.

The scene continues to play as the dreading feeling returns back to bug her. It was close.

She can feel it, just minutes before the disaster takes place and her family was taken from her because of the demons she had sworn to loathe till her very last breath.

A shake felt from the ground, and Yujin closed her eyes, bracing herself for what was about to come to the destiny of her beloved family.

When Yujin opened her eyes, the scenery changed. What was the inside of her humble and warm abode turned to ruins with fire surrounding the place, the lifeless remains of her home just besides her.

The roaring blaze of fire was so hot that Yujin wanted to wake up right then and there, but then just before her fragile past version closed her eyes, she saw a figure staring at her from a far with a look so vague and sorrowful that Yujin almost ran towards them.

A hideous and horrifying laugh soaring from the distance made Yujin out, her heart filled with nothing but raged and sorrow for reality that would come crashing her down only to remind her of the foregone conclusion of what happened to her family.

Yujin wakes up, grasping for air as tears continuously roll down her cheeks. She was panting as if she was just chased by a group of centaurs, but what got her screaming was a face so alluring, and eyes emitting a huge amount of concern while staring at her, their hand doing what Yujin's hands should be doing to her tears. Yujin pushed them away and stood up, only to fall afterwards and decided to hastily stumble back while looking at the groaning and hissing in pain woman. Yujin side-eyed her baldric and reached for it before she was hit on the forehead with a pebble.

"Hey!"

For an S-Class hunter like her who faces near-death experiences every once in a while, small things just takes on a different kind of pain especially if it's as simple as a pebble thrown at her.

"What is your pprob–" Yujin's breath hitched when she finally saw a good look at the face of the woman.

"That's for pushing me."

Another pebble thrown to the now frozen Yujin, who's mouth hung open like a fish, but weaker this time.

"And that is for screaming."

Have you ever experienced seeing such a dazzling creature that you almost forgot that they're human just like you?

"Yah, Yujin."

Yujin, still staring at her, supporting herself (and also her mentality), turned pale when she realized who it was.

Sometimes, rumours can really be true especially if it came from none other than Yena.

----

One hour and four minutes on the clock.

Yujin darted her eyes away from her vintage watch after looking at it for the nth time.

She looks around, trying to divert her attention to find something far more interesting than the eldest daughter of the Kim family currently seated on her usual spot. It had been a pure torture of awkward silence for the two of them. Neither daring themselves to take the bravest step and speak up to try and break the heavy atmosphere that was created because of how Yujin reacted upon seeing her friend again after such a long time.

Maybe it was because Minjoo saw how Yujin wanted to get away from that place as soon as possible, or maybe it was Minjoo wanting to break the wall that currently divided them both, but whatever it was, she finally decided to take the initiative to speak up for the sake of them both.

"So, uh, you still play the violin, I see."

Yujin felt her heart beat speed up with how much Minjoo's voice change. Still not finding the courage to speak up, she hums as a reply.

Minjoo was boring holes at her, staring at her as if she was manipulating Yujin to look back at the older girl.

"You've also gotten much taller than me." She tries again, anything just to get the hunter to talk.

Another hum and Minjoo's shoulder slumped, fully leaning on the tree behind her for support as she stares at the hunter's side profile.

"Would you play me a piece?"

Minjoo smiled when Yujin finally looked at her, a contemplating look plastered on her face.

Without a word, Yujin got near to where Minjoo sat and took her violin case just besides the mage.

Without any other thoughts, Yujin begins to play her violin.

The tension from the silence that surrounds them vanished when both their eyes met upon the note changing from a B to an F#, which had finally managed to bring a silly on their faces.

The music wasn't heard in the note.

Minjoo had long heard it during their silence.

Seeing as how the hunter was so into it, Minjoo could only shake her head as she almost let out a chuckle.

Some things just stay the same.

----

Distance means nothing when both your souls are connected to one another.

A routine is a sequence.

A usual order that a person complies to within a day because it's a part of their everyday cycle.

Yujin was 11 when she met Minjoo.

She was 15 when she first became a demon hunter.

She was 16 when Minjoo broke her promise of coming back.

And now, 5 years later, she never would have imagined getting her daily routine back from when she was still a sore and sad kid, until of course Minjoo came and claims that she'll be keeping her darkness away from her.

Even if Minjoo left and never sent her a mail and had even in fact somehow ghosted her, she can't really blame the mage for the reason why her parents forbid her to come back is because of the fear that she'll also run away like how her younger sister did.

Yes, the main reason why Minjoo couldn't come back is because 5 years ago, her sister, during the day of her musical recital, ran away right after the MC of the competition announced her as the prodigy the world could ever have.

Quite the show if Yujin was being honest.

"You turned yourself into a frog for 2 days straight without transforming back?" Yujin asks, bewildered with the mage's vexatious doings when she was told she wasn't allowed to return back to their manor.

"Yeah." Minjoo answered proudly.

"And you actually caused a whole muddle among the whole individuals who reside over the Zephyr Mountains?" The hunter confirmed, not believing a thing, though knowing just how mischievous the mage could get at times especially when her wants aren't fulfilled, she still did.

"You got that right!"

Yujin hummed before darting her gaze back to the path in front of them.

It had been a week ever since Yujin woke up getting stared at by those same dazzling eyes, and as always, after a few days of hide and seek with Yujin as the hider and Minjoo being the seeker, she was finally caught in the act when the mage decided to stop by the village's bakery.

It was awkward durin