12/25/11

Hello and Merry Christmas!! Here is a chapter for my lovely subscribers. Sorry for not updating as much, I hope I will be able to make it up to you guys soon! Hehe, but we have finally reached a major turning point in RiRin's relationship o.O Enjoy~~

            The next day, with Bom’s insistence, Youngbae told the rest of his friends about his relationship to the land of Yul during lunch.

            “Oh, so that’s why the Vidle is after us,” Chaerin nodded. “It makes a lot more sense now. Before, I thought the Vidle was just xenophobic.”

            The rest of the group laughed. However, they became silent when they heard a knock on the door.

            “Come in,” Youngbae spoke first. After a few moments, Yoli came into the room and bowed.

            “Please excuse me for my impoliteness, but I overheard your conversation. Another trait of the Yul people is good hearing. That’s one reason why the Yul people are so closely knit. They have to be honest with each other,” he said. Then turning to Youngbae, he smiled. “I knew you were Jali’s son the first time I saw you. The color of your irises change the same way hers does.”

            Oh? There’s a difference in how he eye color changes? Bom thought.I need to pay closer attention to his eyes.

            “How do you know my mother?” Youngbae asked. His curiosity was sparked.

            “I was a family friend of hers,” Yoli explained. “We used to compete with each other in all different kinds of competitions when we were younger. But I almost always lost. Your mother is quite the trickster.”

            “You can say that again,” Youngbae laughed. But his expression slowly turned gloomy. “I haven’t seen her in a while.”

            Bom instinctively put a hand on Youngbae’s arm.

            “I’m sure you’ll see her soon,” Yoli smiled sympathetically. “I work for Yul’s magic detection society, and I’ve been noticing the changes you guys have been making to Terra’s atmosphere. You guys are almost there. Just a few more rivers left, and once the rain falls, all curses will be dispelled. After that, you guys will return to Earth.”

            “How did you know about the rivers?” Dara asked.

            “The magic detection society has actually been tracking your movements since Youngbae arrived in Terra. Since Yul is responsible for the first galactic travelling in Terra, we have paid close attention to the changes in Terra’s atmosphere due to teleportation,” Yoli explained. “We also have a device that tracks all spells casted since Vidle’s takeover, and thankfully, the magnitude of the dispel charms casted in all the water sources will be able to null all of the spells casted since that time. All of Yul is rooting for you.”

            “You mean everyone knows who we are?” Jiyong asked in disbelief.

            “Well, yes,” Yoli said as-a-matter-of-factly. “Jali is legendary to the Yul people, for better or for worse. And anything connected to the teleportation between galaxies is front page news.”

            The six of them nodded their heads, trying to absorb all the new information.

            “Well, I assume that you guys will be going off to Hes after this. But first, may I speak to Youngbae in private?” Yoli requested.

            “Sure,” the six spoke in unison. After Youngbae stood up and left with Yoli, Chaerin thought aloud, “If what Yoli says is correct, then by the time we go back home, the binding spell casted on us will disappear.”

            The room was silent.

            “Do you think,” Chaerin started, “that we will somehow drift farther apart after we get back?”

            “No,” Seungri replied so tersely that everyone looked at him for explanation. “Well, not unless we want to drift farther apart. I mean, the spell may bind us together through all kinds of odds, but the fact that we’ve been friends for more than nine years… Well, that fact speaks for itself.”

            “I agree,” Bom nodded at Seungri. “We know each other inside out. Heck, even if Dara hasn’t been with us for as long, we collectively have experienced something with each other that cannot be created through a simple, measly spell. The fact that we have traveled to a different world together will be enough to bind us for another decade.”
            “And after that?” Chaerin asked tentatively.

            “Well, even under this binding spell, we still have to work to keep our friendship intact,” Bom reasoned. “Although we won’t be able to do something as drastic as teleporting to a different galaxy, I will make sure that our friendship will last, even if I have to do it single-handedly.”

            “You won’t have to do it single-handedly,” Jiyong smiled. He raised his right hand. “I vow to do anything in my ability to make our friendship last.”

            Seungri raised his hand afterward, and the girls did the same. Chaerin laughed. “I guess we’re replacing the spell with our own pact. Now, all we have to do is have Youngbae make the vow as well.”

            “Make what vow?” Youngbae’s muffled voice came from the doorway.

           Bom turned her head to face the door, and after a few seconds, Youngbae appeared. She answered, “We’re making a pact with each other, vowing that we will do anything in our ability to make our friendship last. Now quickly raise your right hand! My arm is getting tired.”

            Youngbae laughed and raised his hand. “I solemnly swear to do everything I can to keep this friendship that we have, for better or for worse.”

            “Sounds like a marriage vow,” Seungri joked. The six friends laughed at each other’s silliness. Still, despite all of the silliness, they knew that their pact was not a joke.

            Bom looked over at Youngbae, and gasped inwardly. She smiled widely after realizing what she just saw. At the moment she looked at him, she saw his irises change color. Starting from his normal jet black, yellow rays sprouted from his pupils and extended outward into the rest of his irises.

            Like the sun’s rays, Bom thought to herself. That must be what Yoli was talking about.

                                                            :::::

            After following Yoli down a secret underground tunnel for around three hours, the six friends finally said goodbye to him and the land of Yul. Dara took a while to dispel all of Lake Contra, and by the time they arrived at an inn in Hes, it was already night time. During dinner, the friends decided to have a day off from working and collecting money to prepare for the crossover to the Mulonar.

            The next morning, Chaerin sat in the kitchen, eating a blueberry muffin. Bom was off shopping for new clothes with Dara, and although the two girls offered Chaerin to join their shopping escapade, Chaerin declined. She was too tired to shop, and shopping was only fun when one was fully awake. As she was eating, Seungri came into the kitchen.

Chaerin tried to act nonchalant, but in actuality, she felt a sudden tightness in her chest the moment he walked in. What is wrong with me? She asked herself. Ever since that solo encounter with Seungri, and that fight with the mermaids…

            She didn’t allow herself to complete the thought. Instead, Chaerin asked, “Hmm? Why are you here? Weren’t you and Youngbae going to go out and have fun?”

            “No, too tired,” Seungri replied, shrugging his shoulders as he poured himself a glass of water. “I just want to relax today.”

            “Oh,” Chaerin replied tersely, more focused on figuring a way out of the door than listening to his answer. “Okay, well, gosh, I’m tired as well. I’ll be going now. Can you finish the rest of the muffin for me? I can’t eat it all.”

            She didn’t even wait for his reply before heading toward the door, but just as she reached the door frame, Seungri blocked her way. Chaerin didn’t dare look up. “Please move.”

            Seungri scoffed. “Sorry, but no can do. You have to first explain to me why you’ve been avoiding me for the past few days.”

            “I’m not avoiding you!” Melody shouted, pretending to be indignant.

            “Oh yeah?” Seungri challenged. “Then actually look at me in the eyes when you’re talking to me.”

            Chaerin hesitated. “I-I… can’t do that.”

            “Why not?” Seungri grabbed her shoulders in anger, and Chaerin felt an electric shock pass through her body.

Realizing her body’s reaction, Chaerin felt a large weight on her shoulders, as if bricks were piling on top of them. She struggled to get away from his grip. “I just can’t, okay?”

            Exasperated, Seungri let go of Chaerin. “It’s like you’re afraid I’ll do something to you.”

            “Well, maybe you will,” Chaerin carelessly said. All she wanted to do now is escape from this suffocating feeling. But her comment only exacerbated her problem.

            Offended, Seungri grabbed her shoulders again and shouted, “Chaerin, look at me!”

            “No, I won’t!”

            His grip tightened on her shoulders. “Look at me while I’m talking!”

            “I’ll do what I want, now let me go!”

            “I won’t let you go until you look at me.”

            “No!”

            “Why are you making things so hard?! It’s just my face, Chaerin. I’m not asking you to jump off a cliff or anything.”

            “I don’t want to look at you.”

            “Why are you being so stubborn? Is it because I’m ugly? Because I have a pimple? Because you’re afraid? Because you might fall in lo—“

            “Fine! I’ll look at your face!” Chaerin looked up and glared at him. It was the biggest mistake of her life. The moment her gaze landed on his eyes, she felt her lungs constricting, her heart beating faster, her legs getting weaker, her body struggling to move closer to him. Before allowing her body to go off on its own, Chaerin forcefully pushed Seungri away and ran toward her bedroom.

            Collapsing onto her bed, Chaerin tried to piece herself together.Come on, Chaerin! Stop acting so weird! He’s Seungri, for God’s sake! The jokester that Bom likes!

            Suddenly, there was a knock on her door, and Chaerin knew who it was right away.

            “You’re not welcome here!” she shouted.

            But for some reason, Seungri was still able to get through the door. When she heard footsteps, Chaerin looked over to the doorway, and panic draped over her. What the heck! He’s in my room! How did he get in? Didn’t I say he wasn’t welcome?

            Quickly pushing herself off her bed, Chaerin stormed over to where Seungri was. Before he could say anything, Chaerin pushed him toward the door, “Get out! I said you’re not welcome!”

            But for some reason, the door did not abide. For the first time since Chaerin came to Terra, the door was solid, and it stayed solid no matter how hard she pushed. Now fear draped over her. She was trapped inside her own room with the guy that she does not want to see the most. Chaerin tried pushing Seungri out the door again, but to no avail.

            “Didn’t I tell you to get out? Get out of here!” her voice became more and more high pitched as each attempt led to no results. Chaerin became so frustrated that she was on the verge of tears. tightened. “Why can’t you just let me be?”

            “Chaerin! Stop it!” Seungri had had enough, so he took her hands away from his shoulders and tried to hold them still.

            “Let go of me!” Chaerin cried out, trying to release her arms from Seungri’s strong grip. Even in the midst of her struggle for control, she could feel his affect on her body, and that made Chaerin even more determined to free herself from his grasp.

            Finally, Seungri had enough. He let go of her arms and cupped his hands on Chaerin’s face, forcing her to look at his eyes. “Chaerin! Calm down!”

            This time, Chaerin had nowhere to hide. She was exposed to his gaze, and she felt a surge of electricity run from his palms on her cheeks to the rest of her body. The tightness around tightened even more, and she gave way to her instincts.

            She kissed him.

            It was like an animal was unleashed from the deepest and darkest place in her mind. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him urgently, as if life depended on it, as if there was no tomorrow. Her heart beat even faster when she felt him kiss her back with the same urgency. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, trying to pull her even closer, and she responded by tightening her grip on his neck.

            Suddenly, a female voice resonated in her mind. It was loud and clear. Then whoever your friend is, I’ll be in love with him and he will be my husband. Because he, although unknowingly, had given me strength to go on and not give up faith.

            Reeling back, Chaerin looked off into the distance in surprise.What was that?

            “Chaerin, are you okay?” the sound of Seungri’s voice dragged her back into the present. A thousand bricks stacked on top of her should once more as she realized what had just occurred.

            She headed toward the door, but before she could run away, Seungri caught her arm. “You can’t just run away from your problems like this.”

            “Watch me.”

            She freed her arm from Seungri’s grasp and ran out of the room.

Oh! And I've been thinking, maybe I'll have Troublemaker (Hyuna and Hyunsaeng) be the couple for my next story o_o Hehe, inspired by their new song. What do you guys think? Link to the description of the characters: http://www.asianfanfics.com/blog/view/36624

SuperJ13: Yay!! I'm glad the questions are answered! And what happens next is definitely leaning toward the romantic side, for sure :P

BigBang_VIP: Bombae moments are COMING SOON!! hehe, lol, I'm getting excited as well :P