|This could be the end of everything // so why don't we go - somewhere only we know|
..
Chaeyoung had never been a fan of oceans - in fact she was never a fan of any bodies of water. She was terrified of sea creatures. A fear she had growing up - there was no trauma attached to it she just didn't like the ocean - big deal.
Much to her ordeal though, her family lived near the ocean - they owned a beach house and lived their ever since she was born. Her family was fairly small and then it got smaller and then bigger - which all sounds confusing but it's better than saying her mom had divorced her father and soon after her father remarried and had 2 other kids.
Although this happened when she was fairly young - she haven't begun to properly adjust to the fact that she was calling someone else "Mom" and had 2 siblings that she never really knew.
It was like she was shut off from the world. She attended school, kept a low profile - occassionally talked to people but other than that she had nothing. There were a few occassional classmates who she was close enough to call friends.
The place where she lived was fairly large so a lot of the people she goes to school comes unnoticed to her unless they did something that made her annoyed or amused - it was mostly the first one.
One particularly uneventful morning, her dad cooked the usual breakfast (bacon and eggs) gave them money for school - her step-mom always offered to drop her off to school since it was on her way to work but she always politely declined. Chaeyoung never really knew why she declined, back then the reason was because she didn't trust her but now she doesn't know why she keeps declining. Call it a system.
School was bland to her, she wasn't smart as Einstein but topics and subjects come off as easy to her with very little time. She was a fool to think that this would be a normal class but nope, their homeroom teacher - Miss Daisy had arranged for a group project
"A sand castle" Miss Daisy announced
"What are we, 8?" Jennie Kim asked, she was one of the classmates that Chaeyoung liked.
"You might be seniors but you need this graduate - I want a full presentation of a sand castle and it's connection to you"
The project was unfortunenately individual so she has to do this by herself.
"So how you plan on doing this?" Jennie asks her, knowing her fears of the ocean
"I'll be fine if I do it like very far away from the water" Chaeyoung shrugs, though she dreaded the thought
"Lisa and I will do it later, do you wanna tag along?" Jennie offered with a kind smile, which was a little funny because Jennie wasn't the kind type of girl but she was to Chaeyoung
She nodded, "Sure, thanks"
Later that day, the three went to the beach as planned but Jennie said her cousin was tagging along. Apparently she has a cousin visiting for the week and Jennie "needed" to spend time with her.
Chaeyoung was not anti-social, she knew how to talk to people she just goes out her way not to -so she is anti-social.
The "Cousin" Jennie described as a "Mountain troll" was actually a gorgeous (even by her standards) woman called Jisoo
Lisa knew the cousin, in fact they seemed closer. Chaeyoung gave her a polite nod and left to do her project, she couldn't care less even though this was an insanely beautiful woman.
She ddin't go to the beach and therefore never really knew how to make sturdy sand castles but she'll make up for the explanation.
...
As the sun went down for she took a photo of her sand castle and destroyed it as soon as she was done with it.
"Woah - brutal" someone voiced out from behind her, It was Jisoo - she had a mischievious grin on her face and a sly smile that comes of identical with Jennie
Chaeyoung stared at her, not really knowing how to continue the conversation. A part of her wanted to but she opted to just ignoring the girl and going back to her task
"Need help with that? I could a great accomplice"
"I'm not doing any crime, I'm just destroying the sand castle I built" Chaeyoung says flatly
"No sense of humor, got it" Jisoo nods as if he's taking mentals notes, "So...Chaeyoung?"
Again, Chaeyoung just looks at her.
...
The week passed that Jisoo was vacationing with Jennie and Chaeyoung felt a little sad. Her heart was heavy for something she never knew what.
Jisoo, for the past week have been haunting her with messages and cheesy little pick lines that the latter ignored. Now all of that is gone and she feels bad, sometimes she doesn't get herself.
It was just another day at school, same old boring routine - the thought surprised her, Chaeyoung didn't mind her usual routine. She was fine with doing nothing new but with Jisoo and her constant presence in the past week made her routine looked boring.
"How was school?" Chaeyoung's father asked
"It was fine"
The same question and the same answer.
Chaeyoung retreated to her room, tired of her feelings she wasn't used to feeling - she was used to numb but Jisoo had bothered her bubble and made her feel strong emotions, whether it was annoyance or fondness - Chaeyoung hated and loved it.
She opens her window which has a clear view of the ocean and although she never liked the sea, she liked the sun going down but what caught her wasn't the big ball of fire reflecting on the sea - it was the sand castle that majestically stood right at her view, beside it was her name written in sand and the words "I would love to get to know you more"
Chaeyoung looked around to see if Jisoo was there but there was no sign of the girl
Her phone beeped though and it was the culprit of writing her name on the sand.
Jisoo Kim|
I got your number from Jennie at quite a terribly expense of my pride, the least you could do is reply you know :> and not with those snarky remarks.
Jisoo Kim|
Are you catching on to the fact that I am interested in you?
Jisoo Kim|
I'll start.
Her name is Jisoo Kim, she's 6 months older than me - she never had a good relationship with her parents and she's staying with Jennie until her family's drama dies down. She likes to play games and is usually an anti-social and hates people
Chaeyoung|
Does that mean I'm an alien?
Jisoo|
You're the exception that proves the rule
...
Every single day as soon as Chaeyoung comes home there's a sand castle in the view of her room and her name written next to it with an occassional movie quote or song lyric.
Chaeyoung doesn't tell Jisoo but she keeps note of every quote or lyrics Jisoo writes in sand - Jisoo doesn't tell Chaeyoung but everyday she sees her take a picture of her creation.
Chaeyoung tells Jisoo her pet peeves, her worse fears - her likes and dislikes.
--
Her name is Chaeyoung Park, her parents are divorced and she never saw her mother again but she sends her a letter every birthday, she hated and feared bodies of water, she hates certain types of vegetables, she doesn't like waiting or surprises and she hates being led on.
A month passed, 2 months have passed and before she knows it Jisoo was a part of her bubble, or her routine - that she had let someone inside - a friend, maybe even more.
She was comfortable and at peace - she mistaked her numbness to peace but this time she really felt peace.
It did not made sense to Chaeyoung though, she wasn't naive or was born yesterday. Deep inside her bones she knew that this type of happiness and peace comes with a price, they always do.
She tells Jisoo exactly that.
Jisoo|
I have no idea when the price will come
Jisoo|
I'm enjoying this moment with you tho
Jisoo|
And if it makes you feel better, if you go to hell - save me a chair ;))
The impending doom of anxiety crept over them, as if they knew any moment now. All of this will be gone.
.
.
.
Chaeyoung had never been a fan of oceans - in fact she was never a fan of any bodies of water.
But she was there, near the shore - her heart pounding a little as she watches the sun go down.
"Come back to this moment" A voice said from behind her said
Chaeyoung falls back knowing her back would meet someone safe.
"When the price comes and all goes to hell - come back to me - to a place only we know"
"Will you be there?"
"Darling, I'm always there"