Stay There
Mystical Love
chapter four
Stay There
"Stay there, I'll go to you"
– Stay There, Seo Joonah (Aftermath OST)
Chorong’s heart nearly stopped beating right after those words escaped Eunji’s lips. Did she see Bomi? Did she tell everyone about Bomi? What should I do?
“W-What do you mean, Eun?” Chorong asked, trying to keep her calm though ultimately failed, stuttering unintentionally. Luckily for her, Eunji was too distracted to notice as she continued, “well, I know you won’t believe me anyway… But I really saw her. She-“
“W-Where did you see this person anyway?” the older one spoke, while secretly praying ‘please, anywhere but the forest.’
“… You… believe me?” Eunji finally focused her attention on her cousin, but failed to notice how nervous she was. She gave Chorong a doubtful look even after the latter nod assuringly, “so… you won’t laugh at me?”
“No, Eun. No. Just tell me, where did you see her?” Chorong managed overcame her nervousness with her impatience. The Busan girl sighed and looked away again, “… at the beach… near the town where my school is located.”
Chorong visibly relaxed as if a huge burden was lifted off her shoulders. Now that she had calmed herself down, she asked Eunji, “So… how did she look like?”
“… well, she had jet black hair and pale complexions…” Eunji stated, eyes still looking far off, into the darkening horizon, “she was probably taller than me… and definitely skinnier than me… but really,” Eunji suddenly smiled, “it was her eyes that captivated me the most…”
“What about her eyes?”
“Well… to begin with, it was slightly rounder than ours… and her irises were astonishingly black in color… they- hmm, it’s hard to describe them… but maybe, you can compare them with the night sea…”
“How so?”
“Well, the vibe… I don’t know unnie. I’m not an expert in this… but I could feel it… she had this look of coldness inside her black orbs, but at the same time, it was as though… she was sad, lonely… all those negative feelings… now that I’m recalling her like this, I just want to hug her and tell her that everything will be fine-”
“You want to hug and tell a complete stranger something like that?” Chorong interrupted, face contorted into a look of disbelief. She knew Eunji like the back of her palm. Her cousin might be friendly and all, but she would never do something rude like that to just anybody… well, that was rude, wasn’t it?
“…” Eunji didn’t even spare a glance, “I… I don’t know anymore, unnie. This feeling is so confusing. Just what the hell’s wrong with me?” she mumbled and stood up all of a sudden. “Unnie, it’s about time we sleep.”
“A-Ah? Y-Yeah, you’re right…” Chorong gasped in surprise as her cousin passed by her, looking all sad and emo. The sight made Chorong felt guilty, really guilty. “E-Ehm, Eun…” she called, earning a hum in response. “Err… How would you like it if I come with you to the beach tomorrow? You know… maybe to see who this person is?”
She smiled in relief when Eunji’s brightened expression met her, “that would be lovely.”
School started early for Eunji and so the moment she was dismissed, she still had more than enough time to meet her ‘beautiful stranger’, or so that was what Chorong had called the girl (she had said that ‘this person’ and ‘the girl at the beach’ was too mouthful, though ‘beautiful stranger’ was no better. At least it was still catchy and likeable). As they met up at a café just across Eunji’s school building, they decided that maybe, just maybe, it was Eunji’s stare that made that girl (Eunji dared herself to say that ‘beautiful stranger is lovely but it’s still so mouthful’) afraid and ran away (Eunji: “Hey! My stare isn’t that scary!... or maybe it is…?”). So Chorong brought a special outfit that would make her less… scary. And also with ‘Chorong’s special makeover skill’, she managed to transform the tomboy-but-still-girly girl into an I’m-manlier-than-your-idol-oppa girl.
“Yah, Chorong-unnie…” Eunji’s cheeks were tainted with a deep shade of red, “isn’t this too much?”
“What are you talking about!? You look perfect! Perrrfect with three ‘r’s!” Chorong exclaimed childishly while giving the Busan girl two thumbs up, “just trust me with this one! You will never be disappointed!”
“But-”
“Jung Eunji, save your worries for later,” Chorong shushed her cousin, “when we finish this later, you’re going to repay me with three plates full of chicken feet.”
Eunji could only laugh at her cousin’s words. But unknowingly, her nervousness was washed away as well.
“So, this is the beach where you always saw her?” the older girl asked as she scanned the area. She had to admit, that beach was beautiful. It was clean, had white sands, and pretty much almost untouched by human hands. First time going to the beach and she had the biggest luck of coming to that perfect beach, Chorong had never felt more blessed.
Speaking of bless, the first ‘person’ that came into Chorong’s mind was none other than her forest elf, Yoon Bomi. She had to admit that one of the main reasons why she offered to come with Eunji to the beach was because she wasn’t ready to answer Bomi’s confession. Deep down, she knew the answer but then again, she wasn’t sure if that would be the wisest thing to say, considering the fact that the Park was pretty much a very nomadic family.
The other reason was the girl Eunji had told her last night. For some reason, Chorong felt like she had knew the girl her cousin described. The descriptions matched someone… but who?
“Unnie! There she is!” Eunji’s not-so-loud-but-still-too-loud voice woke her up from her train of thoughts and she looked at the direction the Busan girl had not-so-discreetly pointed. There, she saw a girl exactly the way Eunji had described her last night was looking at the blue ocean.
‘Wait, she looks awfully familiar with someone…” Chorong thought but as she saw Eunji about to run away from the beach, she grabbed the latter’s wrist, “yah! Where are you going?” she hissed.
“Uh… Home?” her cousin sheepishly said. The former city girl heaved a heavy sigh, “you told me all those stories, had me accompany you, and even makeover you, only for you to chicken out and escaped? Hell no, young lady. You’re going to talk to that girl of yours and that’s final.” She said in a commanding tone which successfully made Eunji trembled in fear and nodded. “Good girl. Now go get your damsel-in-distress, miss knight-in-shining-armor!” Chorong encouraged, “if she’s trying to run away again I’ll make sure to catch her.” She added, which made Eunji frowned, “yah, don’t injure her with your hapkido moves, unnie!”
“That’s why you’re her knight, pabo! You’re going to save her, right?” Chorong smacked Eunji’s forehead, and the latter winced in pain, “yes, yes… don’t use violence, Rong-mama…”
“Yah this pabo seriously!” Chorong head locked her cousin, “say something more and I’m going to twist this head!”
“Ouch, don’t!” Eunji whimpered, “Okay, okay! Seriously, are we going to do this or not?”
“Tsk, go then! You’re so annoying, Eun-pabo!” Chorong let go and crossed her arms in front of her chest, pouting. Eunji copied her and stuck her tongue out, “I’m still cuter than you, Grandma Rong.”
“Yah, just go!” the older girl yelled, shooing her cousin away. She saw Eunji pouted and muttered something like “that violent granny” and “fighting, Jung Eunji!” as she walked away.
Chorong secretly smile at the Busan girl. She then turned around and left, “good luck, Eun. I’m sure she won’t run away from you. I’m just going to make some confirmations. Once again, good luck.”
Eunji mentally fist-pumped as the mysterious girl didn’t notice her this time, so she wouldn’t run away. After she was close enough to make sure that the girl wouldn’t escape, she called with a soft tone, “excuse me…”
The girl jumped out a bit and turned her head to the side, her eyes meeting Eunji’s again. For a moment, both of them got lost in each other’s orbs, but it was Eunji that first snapped out of the trance, holding the girl’s wrist carefully to prevent her from leaving. But she was surprised the moment their skin made contact.
The girl’s hand, or should she said her entire body, was extremely cold like ice.
“Ah… Uh…” the Busan girl stammered as she completely forgot what she was supposed to say due to the shock. The other girl seemed shocked too, but thankfully for Eunji she didn’t struggle.
“H-Hey…” was all that the shorter girl could utter from . She felt like the dumbest person on Earth, but she just couldn’t with this stranger. Something about her was so mystifying that Eunji was totally blown away. ‘Not cool, Jung Eunji. Not cool at all! Stop staring and get your right!’ she thought, but her body won’t listen.
It was a shy, silent voice that broke Eunji out of her stupor, “um… i-is there s-something on m-my face?” the stranger asked. Eunji felt her soul escaped from her body and went straight to heaven before returning back to her body, swiftly answering “N-N-N-NO! I-I-I’m so sorry!” before turning her gaze elsewhere, trying to hide her reddening face.
Then, she heard melodious giggles from someone in front of her and she looked up. The beautiful stranger was giggling sweetly at her.
‘…’ the Busan girl thought, ‘how am I gonna survive this?’
“… you know, miss…” the stranger said, her angelic voice echoing inside Eunji’s heart, “I’ve seen you… quite often… around, you know…” she said, smiling. If smiles could kill, Eunji would be the most brutally murdered victim (‘because the feels man! SOMEONE TELL ME THIS IS NOT A DREAM!’).
“A-Ah, yes…” Eunji managed to utter the most dumb-sounded response ever, “but… this is the first time we ever talk to each other, right? Hehehe…” she said, nervous. The girl, on the other hand, just looked at Eunji as if she was observing her (Eunji: ‘don’t judge me, please…’).
“My hand…” the girl said which managed to avert the shorter girl’s gaze from the girl’s face to her hand that was still holding hers’. “Whoops, I’m sorry! B-But… if I let go… d-don’t go anywhere… okay? Please…” she stuttered.
“No… I won’t…” she said, and Eunji gladly (albeit a bit reluctantly) released her hand. “What’s… your name?” the girl asked quietly, but luckily Eunji’s ears were sharp enough to hear it, “I-I’m Jung Eunji… what’s your name?”
The girl smiled sweetly at the Busan girl as she answered,
Meanwhile, with Chorong…
Chorong was at the Kim’s living room with Grandma Kim, examining each and every album books the family had. She was sure that she had seen the girl somewhere, and all she needed was the evidence. Suddenly she stopped flipping through the tattered face and her face had formed a shocked look.
“Chorong-ah, did you find what you were looking for?” Grandma Kim asked as she noticed the girl’s sudden change in expression. Chorong nodded and showed her a picture of young Taeyeon, Bomi, and one other girl. “Grandma, if I may ask, who’s this girl?” she asked. Grandma Kim squinted her old eyes and after she could identify the person, she answered,
“Ah, her? Well…
“My name is Son Naeun.”
“Her name is Son Naeun.”
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author's note » LOOL Possibly one of my shortest chapter yet, but it's because Bomi really didn't appear at all *evil smile* and this chap is exclusively for 2Eun HAHAHAHAHA those two need some screen time too, you know? ;) oh, just for your info, I reedit some parts in the previous chapter because they were well, you know... grammar mistakes here and there... and perhaps the flashback will be saved for later chapter XD thank you to everyone who wished me happy birthday, I really appreciate it :") by the way, can any of you my lovely subscribers make posters? I want to have a poster for this fic but I'm not good with graphics haha XD
@akumatsubasa: AHAHAHAHA did I really surprise you, chingu? that's a good thing then MWAHAHAHAHA XD hm perhaps? *evil smirk* ah thank you very much chinguyah :") amen for Namjoo's part and sorry-but-being-evil-is-in-my-genes for the other XD once again, thank you! You're the best XD
@athousandreveries: it depends on how ed up my brain will be for the next chapters haha don't kill me >.< thank you for da birthday wishhh XD
@troublemaker92: so, did you have a nice sleep? ahahahaha thank you, though XD
@apinkjejlover: woooot XD ah, thank you very much >.<
finally putting this story to a rest. final chapter is up gaiiissss :D that 'complete' status makes me a bit teary :"
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