The Secret Sonata || Ryeji

Chapter 16: Haunted

Not much after Yeji receded from view, Ryujin took some time to collect herself since she was kicking away every pebble in her line of sight and screaming at the top of her lungs, filled to the brim with anger and frustration. Angry that Yeji had to be dead, frustrated that she knew Yeji used to be someone special to her in the past, her heart was certain about it, but she still couldn't remember her. In addition to that, she was even more appalled at the way Yeji labeled Hyunjin, thereby kindling the flames of her anger, on the account of everyone close to her keeping a huge secret from her. She figured that Hyunjin and Yeji might be siblings, but how come she not know it? How come she'd never met Yeji before? Why were her memories playing tricks on her? Another thing she couldn't understand was the reason why Yeji kept dodging her questions about her lifetime and her family, both counterparts did the same, always changing subjects when those specific questions came around.

"F*ck everyone, F*ck everything in this world!" Ryujin squalled at the top of her lungs, cupping her mouth, hunching her shoulders, tipping her body toward the edge of the cliff as she did so, and Ddeong whinnied behind her.

N-not me, Ryuddaeng. Ddeong is still young. The horse lifted his left foreleg up, putting it down again to rub it back and forth over the rocky surface, totally nervous with her choice of words.

"F*ck the moon too! You dare to shine that bright when I, myself, is feeling glum?" Ryujin pointed her middle finger to the gleaming silver disc which was slowly being obstructed by looming, grey clouds, and little did she know that Dalnim, the moon goddess, had heard her cussing from her celestial abode.

Even the moon?! Ryuddaeng's so greedy! The horse puffed out a breath of disbelief.

Meanwhile on the moon, which was 384,400 km from earth, there were two beautiful Korean goddesses sitting on soft cushions by a traditional low table, both respectively embellished with golden embroidery and unearthly gemstones, as they played a godly board game.

"Yuhwa-ssi, I think I just heard a lowly human being cussing at me," Dalnim voiced out, flickering her wise eyes to her ex sister in law and goddess of willow trees, Yuhwa, and back to the glowing blue sphere. "What should I do about such violation of my dignity?"

"Dalnim-ssi, you are very familiar with how petty human beings can get. They just have a tendency to blame everything, everyone, even the gods for their own personal problems. Leave it be," Yuhwa chuckled, looking for an opportunity to win the board game, while her friend was distracted.

"If you say so, Yuhwa-ssi. Well, I won't hesitate to shave that human's head if this type of violation ever occurs again," Dalnim huffed.

Back at the waterfall cliff, Ddeong was tugging the hem of Ryujin's jacket with its teeth, dragging her away from the edge for safety purposes, knowing that Yeji wouldn't stop nagging him, if something ever happened to the girl she loved so dearly on his watch. At this, Ryujin turned around and stroked his charcoal black mane in a soothing manner, earning a gratified neigh from him.

Mhm... More, Ryuddaeng. More... The satisfied stallion melted under her touch, his muzzle getting nearer to her face in pure delight as she fondled his chin delicately. Then, he heard a series of broken-hearted sobs from the girl, followed by an object landing on his long neck, which turned out to be her head as she leaned against him. Aww. Ryuddaeng. Don't cry. Thus, he began to nicker and whirl his body to face the crying girl, licking the side of her cheek to comfort her, and the girl circled her arms around his neck to embrace him.

"Thanks, buddy. I don't know what I would do without you," Ryujin sobbed against his neck, snuggling closer, with anguish and heartache consuming her whole being, stuffing her chest with nothing but deep despondency. Subsequently, she shedded her tears and wiped her snot with the sleeve of her jacket, while she removed her arms from his neck. "Oh, how I wish you could talk to me and advise me about unrequited love, or maybe partially unrequited love. Ugh! I don't know anymore. A side of her wants me, but another does not. And I only want the side that doesn't want me. I'm weird, right? It's as if they're not the same person. I can't feel the way I feel towards silver-haired Yeji to anyone else, even to her red-haired counterpart. What's wrong with me, Ddeong? Too bad you can't talk." Ryujin cupped the stallion's cheeks and earnestly locked eyes with him.