Minji stayed frozen, only able to blink at the woman standing in the kitchen with her apron on. Woman? No…..She was a mannequin. An object made of plastic and synthetic hair. And yet, she seemed very much alive, looking at her with expressive eyes, her head slightly tilted to the side, and walking up toward her with concern. 

« Minji, are you okay? Are your feet okay? » She frowned, scrutinizing the glass-shreds scattered all around her barefoot feet on the floor. Minji instinctively took a few steps back as she approached her « Careful! » Yoohyeon’s frown deepened as she witnessed some pieces sink under the sole of Minji’s feet while the other woman stared at her in shock not even feeling herself getting hurt.

« This is not real » She muttered « This is not. You’re not real. I’m dreaming. This is a dream » Her breathing started to intensify and her eyes shut close. She slammed the palm of her hand against her temple repeatedly to wake herself up, still rambling frantically that the situation she was living wasn’t real. 

« Minji, stop! » Yoohyeon pleaded and stepped closer, hurting herself as well since she, too, was barefoot. She shrieked out of pain, a pain she had never experienced before. It was harder and more painful to be human than she had imagined when she first gained consciousness. Minji stopped moving, unlike her heart drumming inside her chest, she stared at the woman sat on the floor nursing her wounded foot. Blood….there was blood. Impossible. Mannequins couldn’t bleed. She approached her slowly and kneeled in front of her, observing the blood leave the sole of Yoohyeon’s foot « Minji, you’re going to scrap your knees » The silver-haired girl let out, concern filling her voice.

« How is it possible? » She let out in return, her eyes finally raising to Yoohyeon’s face « How are you alive? » She asked completely lost. 

« I…..I don’t know » Yoohyeon confessed, she, too, in the dark over her own creation. 

Minji sat down, assessing the damage to her wounded feet which had started to sting « It’s not a dream » She whispered to herself, the pain finally being detected by her brain. 

« No, it’s not » Yoohyeon answered nonetheless. 

« I’m sorry » Minji put back her gaze on her « I….I can’t even start to comprehend it. You’re….you’re…. » 

« Alive » Yoohyeon weakly smiled and Minji’s heart skipped a beat at such a stunning sight. She didn’t know it could have been possible for the mannequin to be more charming but being alive had enhanced her beauty somehow. Suddenly, her now full-of-life eyes widened « The pancakes! » She squawked and Minji got up in a jolt, running despite her injured feet toward the stove before stopping, eyebrows furrowing, and slowly turned back to face Yoohyeon still on the floor looking at her expectantly « It’s my first time cooking. I…truly don’t know what I’m doing and the instructions are not really clear. Did I mess up the preparation? » She asked, tilting her head to the side like a puppy about to get scold. Minji took a deep breath, she had thought the pancakes were getting cooked in a pan and that they were about to burn but the batter wasn’t even finished « I wanted to make you a good breakfast before work » Yoohyeon dropped her head sadly. Minji immediately looked at her watch and sighed in relief when she saw she still had two hours before going. She looked back at Yoohyeon who still had her head down in shame, trying to take the glass pieces out of her foot. 

She sighed and walked back toward the new human « Let’s patch up our feet first and then we’ll make the pancakes » She stretched out her hand for the silver-haired woman to take. Yoohyeon raised her gaze with shining eyes that made Minji’s heart accelerate. 

-

They ate the pancakes in a peaceful silence, bandages and band-aids covering their feet. Only the sound of the forks rattling against the full plates echoed in the small main room. 

« The pancakes are perfect » Yoohyeon smiled, chewing the breakfast she had helped with « The maple syrup is perfectly absorbed by the spongious texture » She squished a piece of the food with her fork, observing the golden liquid coat the white glass surface of the plate. 

Minji might have loved food with fervor but her senses were all directed toward the silver-haired girl. Sure the pancakes were amazing and satisfied her tastebuds but she was too distracted by Yoohyeon to realize it. Her eyes hadn’t left her face since they began eating. All of the details that had once been perfectly modeled had come to life to be even more marvelous. Her hair was shinier, her skin glowed without any imperfection almost making Minji jealous, her eyes dripped with life, even the small mole on her nose became cuter, and her lips were redder and so damn inviting. Minji almost missed the fact that they were moving if it was not for the melody of her voice blessing her ears « They’re really good indeed » She agreed absently as Yoohyeon’s tongue passed across her bottom lip to catch the maple syrup that had missed the inside of . 

« Are you ok, Minji? » She heard her speak and blinked repeatedly to break the spell that Yoohyeon’s beauty had put her under. Her gaze raised to the once lifeless brown eyes that now sparkled like amber under the light. 

« Can you tell me again it’s not a dream? » She asked in a shaky whisper, eyes fixed on hers.

« It’s not » Yoohyeon confidently replied, sending her a sympathetic smile. 

Minji nodded slowly, taking a bite of her pancakes, and closed her eyes feeling it dissolve deliciously in . Her tastebuds were in euphoria and she almost could picture herself eating this in Canada surrounded by a pine tree forest, birds chirping freely and water peacefully following its course downward. 

She opened her eyes and her breath was swept away. She was real, in front of her, in all her glory. She had her head tilted slightly to the side again as she observed her a bit worried and Minji wanted to wipe every worry away and tell her she was fine but she remembered her attitude the day prior and the conservation she had with the lifeless mannequin at the time. Yoohyeon wouldn’t believe her if she said it and she wouldn’t believe herself either. Suddenly, her thoughts diverged away. Yoohyeon remembered. She also remembered about the food on the table. 

« Yoohyeon? » She called, receiving a little ‘hum’ from the woman « Do you….have memories? » 

The silver-haired put her empty plate on the low table in front of them and faced Minji with knitted eyebrows, gaze traveling from side to side occasionally to figure out the inside of her mind « I have memories of my life but I only got them when I gained consciousness, it’s not like I…was alive before. They just….appeared when I woke up a few hours ago. I….I have memories and general knowledge of this world but….I’m blank otherwise » She explained as best as she could just as lost as Minji « This was my first time cooking » She pointed at her empty plate « Or rather attempting to » She subtly apologized. Silence fell down in the apartment, both thinking about the situation and not coming up with any sort of plausible explanation. Minji finished her breakfast, putting down her plate next to Yoohyeon’s, and looked back up, still surprised that her eyes met her lived ones as if every time she put her eyes on her she could just find the mannequin instead and that all of it was just a figment of her imagination « I remember you most » Yoohyeon shyly smiled « You always took good care of me. You talked to me. And….dressed me carefully not like… » She grimaced. 

« Mrs. Shin? » Yoohyeon nodded and Minji’s eyes widened, turning their attention to the clock on the microwave which indicated to her it was almost time to go to work. 

« You need to go work » Yoohyeon said sadly. Minji looked back at her and nodded, a bit disappointed herself. 

« Will you be ok staying here all day? » She inquired. Yoohyeon nodded with a reassuring smile « There are some snacks you can eat and there are some leftovers that I can teach you how to heat up with the microwave and…you…you can watch TV » She suggested. 

-

After teaching her and writing down the instructions on how to use the machines in her apartment, Minji was getting ready to leave. She tied up her shoes and put on her coat in the little entrance, being watched over by Yoohyeon who stood in front of her with Minji’s oversized clothes hiding her long perfect limbs. She seemed almost fragile and child-like in that outfit to Minji, who had no idea why the silver-haired had chosen to wear this particular set of clothes. She didn’t want to leave her but she had no choice. She couldn’t bring her at work with her, first because Mrs. Shin would fire her if she arrived with someone and second because, well, Mrs. Shin would definitely recognize Yoohyeon and would probably call the army to handle the ‘anomaly’. 

« Are you sure you’ll be okay? » 

« Please, go to work in peace. I can handle myself » Yoohyeon affirmed softly. Minji inhaled deeply but didn’t seem to manage to detach her eyes from her. Truth was, she was scared. Terrified to go and lose everything. Yoohyeon sensed it and engulfed her into a hug, taking Minji’s breath away one more time. Her delicate and comforting sent sending a peaceful feeling inside Minji’s body and mind « I’ll be right here when you get back » Yoohyeon whispered before pulling away. 

_______________________________________

Hey, guys! 

Hope you enjoyed this second chapter :)

See you next week ;)

-J