Insadong

The Other Side of the Mirror

Seeing how Sehun was affected by the Devil's rotten character record, Sunmi wanted to help Sehun to get back to his own world as quickly as possible. He couldn't pretend being another person for the rest of his life, and he most definitely didn't belong here.

Sunmi went home after making sure that Sehun was indeed okay, and she went googling madly for places around South Korea that might have a larger antique shop population.

The one that popped up most on the list was Insadong Street. The place was rich with culture and there were malls like Ssamjigil that offered interesting trinkets for tourists. Who knew if another enchanted mirror was waiting to be found right there.

Sunmi picked up her phone and messaged the EXO-K boys of her plans the next day, since it was Saturday. They were going to help Sehun get home, if she could help it.

-----

"Are you sure it's not going to be an empty search?" Kai groaned. "I don't want to waste my time like I did the last time."

Suho sent Kai a reprimanding look. "How on earth would we know if it would be a fruitful or fruitless search if we didn't do it? Stop being lazy. We need to get Sehun home."

"At least I came prepared." D.O. pulled out a large bottle of orange juice from his bag and also a red cap, which he promptly pulled down on his head. "I'm ready for battle." he grinned.

The EXO-K boys waited for the bus at the bus interchange, bickering and staying noisy as ever the entire time. "Hey what if we find a mirror but didn't know it was enchanted, and somehow accidentally manage to utter the magic words and bam, the next day we're over at the other side?" Chanyeol asked enthusiastically.

Baekhyun eyed his best friend dully. "Well do sure hope that happens to you."

"Hey!" Chanyeol pouted. "How can you say that, won't you miss me and my tall goodness? I'll bet you're the first person who would be crying and wailing if I should be sent over to-"

"Shush, the bus is here guys!" Sunmi pointed and ushered them. "Must not miss it. The next one comes in half an hour later."

The boys lined up and boarded the bus in an orderly manner, plopping themselves into the available seats. There weren't a lot of passengers yet as they were at the terminal stop and it was still rather early in the morning. Kai took a seat at the last row and pulled down his cap. "Wake me up when we reach." he muttered, and he was lost from the waking world.

Chanyeol and Baekhyun sat together and were looking out of the windows and pointing at every available sight as if they were on a tour. Oh those adorable kids.

Sunmi sat down on one of the seats and her eyes followed Suho's figure as he paid for his ride and began to walk down to the end of the bus. She prayed hard that he would choose to sit with her, and she tried not to let the anticipation show on her face.

Suho met her eyes and gave her a small smile. Sunmi's heart leaped with hope, until Suho passed her seat and plopped himself behind her, together with D.O.. "Hey did you bring food? I didn't have breakfast." Suho peered into D.O.'s large umma bag.

"Looked for the right person. So, sandwiches or pancakes?" D.O. pulled out two containers.

Suho grinned and grabbed a sandwich. "Knew I could count on the umma."

Sunmi tried not to sink too deeply into her seat and she hugged her bag to herself. It didn't mean anything if he didn't choose to sit with her right? She didn't even ask.

Sehun was the last one up the bus and he hopped over to the last remaining seat beside Sunmi. He noticed her glum disappointed expression and blinked in confusion. "Am I not allowed to sit here?" he asked cautiously.

Sunmi looked away and scowled. "Sit here, anything. Do whatever you want." she snapped.

Sehun shrugged. Women, you would never know what offended them.

-----

A while later, Sunmi felt bad for snapping at Sehun and she turned to peek at him under her bangs. He was reading a manga intently, thoroughly engrossed. Sunmi's gaze shifted to the book he was reading and raised her brows. "I didn't know you read Naruto."

Sehun looked up at her and made a face. "Oh so now you're talking to me."

Sunmi's cheeks tinted pink at her previous uncharacteristic burst of childishness and she shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "Stop being sarcastic. It doesn't suit you." she muttered. Sehun grinned and closed his manga, stuffing it into his bag.

"I like manga," he said in response to her previous statement. "I was horrified to not find a single one in the Devil's collection and took it upon myself to enrich his collection." he grinned cheekily. "When the Devil comes back, he'll find himself in heaven."

Sunmi laughed. She would have loved to see the Devil's expression when he saw his room suddenly filled with a dozen books he didn't want.

She played with her fingers for a bit before turning back to Sehun. "You okay now?" she whispered. "From yesterday?"

Sehun looked at her for a moment in confusion before realization dawned. "Oh that." he looked embarrassed. "Uncharacteristic. I'm a strong man you know, I don't get affected by friends that aren't even mine. Uncharacteristic." he waved the matter away.

Sunmi rolled her eyes and punched his arm lightly. "Oh right. Strong man indeed."

"Oww." Sehun whined and rubbed his arm. "Did you have to do that? I said I'm strong but I didn't say I don't feel pain." he looked at her and narrowed his gaze. "I'll have you know that my ttakbam is even deadlier than SHINee Onew's." he leaned nearer to her.

Sunmi swallowed, her gaze fixated on his fingers that were ready to land on her face. "How do you know it's deadlier?  I think you're bragging."

"I totally am not. Oh Sehun does not lie and brag. I'll show you-"

"If you dare do it on me I'll call the cops. I'm a girl."

"That was such a weak defense!"

"Yeah but I'm a girl, clinically proven."

"Oh so you can go punching me because I'm a guy and I can't touch even a strand of your hair because you're a girl."

"Nice that you finally get the picture."

"UNFAIR!!!"

 

 

 

Insadong was full of surprises here and there. It was a rather popular tourist attraction but there were still a good many shops that didn't just aim for profits. The boys went in search for the mirror and split themselves up into three groups.

Baekhyun and Chanyeol went right, Kai and D.O. went to search for the mirror in a market place and that left Sehun, Suho and Sunmi, the three asses. I meant S's. Ahem.

They darted in every shop they could see, rumaging through everything till some of the shop keepers had to chase them out for all the mess they were creating.

"I wonder how the other enchanted mirrors look like." Sunmi let out a strangled sigh. "If only we knew, it would be so much easier to look for it. Would it look like this wooden one or could it be a larger version?" she wondered out loud.

Sehun scratched his head. "Was that a rhetorical question or am I supposed to answer that? Cause I don't know the answer." he grinned at his own joke. Sunmi wrinkled her nose at him but couldn't keep the smile off her face.

She looked over at Suho who was peering into their next shop to look for the mirror. Sunmi admired how hard Suho was working to find it, and he was the most detailed one out of them. Another one of those traits she admired about him. Someone who didn't hesitate to help and when he did help, gave his everything.

Suho was really her ideal lover.

"Hey what are those yellow tents over there?" Sehun questioned, breaking Sunmi out of her fangirling thoughts. "Do you think they sell mirrors too?"

Suho read the signboards. "Fortune telling." he murmured. "It's quite popular in this part of town. I guess these are it."

Sunmi nodded and peered curiously at the tents. The South Koreans had a habit of looking for these fortune tellers whenever they wanted answers for problems in their lives. They consulted the fortune tellers for their studies, career, love life, health...and it was really quite a popular business. A consultation could last more than an hour,  no joke.

"I never went for one of these before." Sunmi murmured, biting her lips. "Umma never believed in these."

"I don't either." Sehun nodded. "But I never believed in magic and look where I am now." he looked back at Sunmi and Suho. "Do you think we should try asking if I would be able to go back?"

Suho and Sunmi exchanged gazes and Suho shrugged. "Why not?"

And that was how the three asses, I meant S's (damn you autocorrect) found themselves in a yellow tent, paying a ridiculous fee of fifteen thousand won and watching an old frail woman play with her crystal ball. Sounded fun.

-----

"The answer lies where you least except." the woman raised her brows at the three customers. "What are you asking about today, madam?" she looked at Sunmi.

Sunmi swallowed, not knowing why she felt slightly afraid. "It's not me. This guy here has some questions." she pointed at Sehun.

Sehun plopped himself down on the seat and looked eagerly at the woman. "Will I be able to go home?"

Sunmi wanted to whack his head for his straightforward question, but the woman didn't seem to think it strange. She looked in her crystal ball for a good few moments and Suho tried seeing if there were any swirls of colours like they always had in movies.

"Come and go as your heart desires, time will reveal the truth." the woman breathed.

Sehun looked completely puzzled. "So does that mean I'll be able to go back or not?" he scratched his head. "Yes or no?"

"It isn't my place to reveal too much young man, it defies the nature's law." she murmured. Sehun pouted and wrinkled her nose. "That answer totally didn't enlighten me on anything." he complained.

Sunmi glanced at Suho at her right and bit her lip. It wouldn't hurt if she just asked one more question right?

"Ahjumma, will I be able to find my true love?" she asked, her cheeks flaming when she realized how fairy-tale-like she phrased it. Oh true love indeed. Suho seemed slightly surprised at her question but just shook his head in amusement. He guessed all girls his age had such fantasies.

The woman looked in her crystal ball again and her lips twitched up ever so slightly.

"Look not too far, for he is here. But the right direction may not always be where you should look." The woman smiled.

Sunmi blinked and glanced to her right at Suho. Right direction? Right as in correct or right as in the opposite of left? So if she shouldn't look in her right, she should look at her left?

Sunmi turned her head to the left and saw Sehun blinking up ather confusedly. "These answers are so confusing!" he complained. "Do you get it?"

Sunmi shuddered and shook her head. Nah, the right direction must mean the correct direction. So she shouldn't look in the correct direction but the wrong one? What did that mean???

"Hey, the boys are calling. They're hungry for lunch." Suho broke Sunmi from her state of confusion. "Thank you for yout answers, ahjumma." he paid the fifteen thousand won.

Sunmi and Sehun followed Suho out, both of them scratching their heads.

Meh, the answers answered nothing.

 

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silvergalaxy12
#1
Y'all Goddess invented parallel universe since 2014!!
tonnettie
#2
Chapter 64: Now I finally understand everything. Maaaaan this is so creepy and amusing. All those what ifs
tonnettie
#3
Chapter 42: Ohhh just passing by. Really?!
tonnettie
#4
Chapter 11: Both Sehun’s are suffering from this situation
Erponnn108 #5
GOOd story
babiepeach
#6
GREAT STORY
taetae29 #7
Chapter 44: OH MY GOD CAPTAIN DO IS THE BEST, MY HEART SKSJDJSJ