After walking up to the attic, Yoohyeon sighed, physically sensing the loneliness of the house. It was so desolate and so peaceful it hurt the ears. Yoohyeon would straight up go to bed, but she wasn't sleepy at all. Considering the fact that she worked in the field for the entire day, she should have been relatively tired, but strangely enough, she wasn't feeling exhausted at all.
She sat on the lone stool that existed in the room, which was standing in front of this ancient dusty and lonely piano against the fence. Her face expressed nothing but stillness, only the moonlight coming from the colourful windows playing on her skin.
Yoohyeon never truly learned how to play the piano, but out of lethargy, she deliberately caressed the texture of it, unlocking it up and settling her long fingers on the frigid keys.
Even from the first sound that the piano radiated out, Yoohyeon knew how it was used for decades already. Because of its extended use, the keys remained quiet and subdued.
She playfully hit the keys, the piano making eerie noises. Closing her eyes, Yoohyeon thought how idiotic she would look right now, but she was obliged that no one was there to observe her.
But well, she was completely wrong with that.
A quite hazy and rich laugh was heard from the door which Yoohyeon left opened and looking toward it after almost jumping out of the chair, she saw Siyeon leaning on the door, clapping a little.
"Oh goodness, Siyeon! You scared me to death." Yoohyeon put her palm over her chest, breathing heavily. The blonde woman walked into the room, slowly getting close to the piano and sitting beside Yoohyeon while still continuing to chuckle.
"Sorry, I didn't meant to scare you. I just heard you playing the piano... if that's even called playing- and came upstairs." She gave out a laugh after seeing Yoohyeon's offended face, moving closer to her and brushing her hands over the piano keys herself.
Without any more remark, She softly began to play some kind of piece Yoohyeon did not know, but quickly adored the melody of it.
She glanced at Siyeon's face, who had her eyes shut while playing, fully feeling the music. Yoohyeon gave out a smile, just loving the blonde woman's vibe right at that minute.
After a moment, though, Siyeon stopped so suddenly, opening her eyes and pulling her hands back, a sorrow filling up her expression slowly.
"Woah..." Yoohyeon breathed out "It sounds so great but... also a little spine-chilling." Yoohyeon said, colds running over her body.
Siyeon gave her a slight nod, looking down at the already raven keys full of dust. "Yes. Well, this song is all about grieving, about not knowing what happens to us after we have died, or lost someone close to our heart. It expresses awe regarding our loss." She said, her words becoming softer and softer as a whisper one by one.
Yoohyeon's mouth fell agape, "What is it called?"
"Lacrimosa," Siyeon said simply, before shaking her head and turning to Yoohyeon as if she wanted to talk about something else. "Anyway, enough of funeral songs. I have something for you!"
Yoohyeon watched her as the blonde put her hand in her pocket, looking for something before taking out a package of candies.
"Oh my god!! Siyeon! These are strawberry bonbon candies?!?" She gasped, taking it in her hands and looking at the blonde woman with a pout, who just chuckled.
"Do not look at me as if I just bought you a house! These are just candies!!" She laughed, but then received an abrupt embrace from the younger one.
"It is not about the gift being big, it's just the consideration. You remembered when I said these were my favourites and you actually got them for me!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm a kind auntie. Now stop breaking my bones and go to bed, it's almost midnight!" Siyeon laughed, standing up after Yoohyeon finally let go of her and walked to the door. "We are going fishing tomorrow, you will have to wake up early, not like how you did today!"
"Hey! I thought you weren't mad about it!" Yoohyeon yelled for Siyeon to hear, who was already walking down the stairs after closing the door behind her, but she didn't get an answer.
With a scoff, she stood up, changing into her pyjamas and going to sleep with a smile.
What an unusual emotion; She was about to sleep, not being competent to wait for the morning to arrive to go fishing with Siyeon.
Fishing! That is ridiculous!
Yoohyeon wiggled her head and cackled at herself, turning over and drifting off to sleep while facing the brown wooden wall.
~~~
Going back to home, I thought that everyone would be already asleep, or well, more like I hoped that would be the case.
But unfortunately, it wasn't.
Opening the door as slowly and quietly as possible, I saw my father sitting at the stairs right in front of me, while I guessed my mom was in the kitchen from the sounds that were coming from there.
Hearing the door open, my dad looked up, meeting his daughter's taken aback face.
"Do you know what time is it, Bora?" He said in his usual strict voice which wasn't that scary anymore. I sighed, wanting to walk up into my room but since he was blocking the stairs way, I stepped into the kitchen, thinking that I would get some support from my mom at least.
Strolling inside, I saw her doing the dishes, "mom" I called for her, suddenly scared that she might have been angry, too. But the moment she turned around and I saw her smile, I knew that wasn't the case.
"Where do you think you are going. You can't escape this talk, Bora." My dad followed me, holding my shoulder.
"What talk, dad?" I asked while still looking at my mom, not being able to gaze back at him.
"You ashamed me. You have no idea how much disgrace that behaviour of yours brought to me and my status."
"And is your status more important that your daughter?? I am not a property that you can just bless someone with. I am a person with feelings, dad." I argued, an immediate shake breaking into my voice.
He breathed out, sitting in front of the table facing me. "Still talking about those feelings of yours?? Didn't you see him? He was well-mannered, handsome, rich, with a good personality! What else do you need in a man??"
"It is in fact not about a man, dad." I said, before sitting in front of him and putting my shaky hands on the table "To marry a person, you need to know them well, to click with them, to feel attracted toward them. No matter how handsome and well-mannered that person is, if you do not feel the connection, then absolutely nothing matters."
My mom walked to me and settled her hands on my shoulders, kind of giving me a back hug. "She's right, darling. I don't want her to be miserable only because of your business."
"It is not only MY business! We are living like this only because of that. It's ours!"
"Alright, I don't want my daughter to be miserable only because of our business. Give her a chance. She will spend some time with that man and if she feels something, only then she will accept it. But if not... I fear everything this won't be possible."
"So you too, are against me?" My dad asked, feeling betrayed.
"Oh, don't be dramatic, for god's sake!" My mom said, shaking her head.
My father breathed in, trying to think about his wife's favor as I watched him with expectation, this possibility growing inside me as a candle light in a dark night "Alright. I will give you time."
I cheered, hugging my mother who also looked happy for me.
"But only three weeks. Don't ask for more." He finished the talk and stood up, starting to walk away. Before turning around and grimacing at me "You have to truly try, though. Spend time with him everyday, whenever it is possible, understood?"
I nodded my head energetically, quite happy with the news.
Three weeks...
It wasn't a lot to know someone and to marry them, but it was at least progress! I wouldn't marry him before even perceiving his identity.
"Thank you so much, mom! This is all because of you." I stood up and attacked her with kisses, as she laughed along with me, putting her hands on my face to stop me.
"Okay! I get it, I am a great mother. Now go to bed, you silly, you were out in the middle of the night for three hours!"
I stopped and gasped, looking at her. "Three hours? And here I thought I was there for only like 40 minutes!"
My mom chuckled, fixing my hair behind my ear "Where were you?"
I smiled "Let's go to my room, tuck me in bed and I'll tell you."
She chuckled, patting my head "Stop acting like you're still twelve."
"Stop acting like you don't like it." I stuck my tongue out as she burst into laughter, we both walking up to my room. "Is Gahyeon already asleep?"
She nodded while climbing on the stairs beside me. "She spent the whole evening with the new maids, I think she actually got along well with that young girl named Yubin. After all, they are roommates now so they have to be friendly to each other."
"What about Eli?" I inquired as we already reached the entryway of my room.
"She went home. She won't stay here at night, apparently, she has 11 year old daughter and there's no one to take care of her at night."
I furrowed my eyebrows before following my mother inside. She closed the door and walked to me, helping me taking off the corset. "Do you know anything about his husband? Is he dead?" I asked while looking at her reflection in the mirror in front of me.
"I don't. Maybe she doesn't have a husband at all. It's not our business." She said as I nodded my head, loving how respectful my mother was to everyone.
Looking at her reflection while she was untieing my dress, I smiled, glancing at her facial expressions. She was nearly 40, yet looked like she easily could be my sister. She's tall, has a really petite body, thinner than me. She has a curly brown hair, long face with no wrinkles, and even dimples on both of her cheeks when she smiles.
"Mom?" I asked when she finished taking off every cloth off my body as I started wearing my pyjama.
"Yes, honey?" She glanced up on me with a soft look in her eyes, sitting beside me on my bed after I covered my body with the blanket.
"Do you truly love father?" I focused on her facial expression changes but saw nothing in particular. She just shifted to glimpse at me, tilting her head.
"Of course I do, sweetie. He gifted me yourself, and he is your father, how could I not love him." Saying this, she caressed my face.
I frowned, taking in the sentence "So you're saying, that you love him only because of me?" I analyzed.
She breathed out, looking at the ceiling. "You could say so."
"That means, that if I wasn't born, you wouldn't love him?"
"Well, I certainly didn't love him before you existed, so I guess - yes." She nodded her head, looking at my troubled face she sighed and moved closer to me. "I know exactly how you feel with this marriage, Bora. That is why I asked your father to give you time, 'cuz I didn't have that privilege when I was in your place." She whispered before making sure that the blanket covered everything under my chin, and kissed my nose. "You should sleep now. Tomorrow is the festival, we have to be out for the whole day. So you need to rest."
"Wait!" I called to stop her from walking out "I have so many more questions!" I pouted.
She chuckled at me, touching the door handle and gradually shutting it "You can ask them later, honey. Have sweet dreams, now."
I groaned out after she closed the door, hearing her steps slowly disappearing.
And I am now lying down in my bed, writing this because I couldn't sleep from all those thoughts hovering my mind. It's the first day of me here, in this village, yet so many things happened already.
I hope that everything this will lead to the way I want it to lead, though.
I'm going to go to sleep now, as mom said, tomorrow is the festival everyone was getting ready for, and I hope to see particularly one person that stays interesting to me-
"Yoohyeon? Are you up?" Yoohyeon heard Siyeon's, that one interesting person's, voice before the two knocks that followed her words.
She quickly stood up from the bed, already having washed up and wearing the outfit. She put the diary under the mattress and opened the door. "Yeah! I'm ready. Are we going fishing??"
It was around 7 in the morning when they were already standing in front of two of Siyeon's horses, Yoohyeon taking a rather shocked stare at the blonde woman.
"Where is your carriage, Siyeon?" She asked, already fearing what the answer would be.
"Oh, we are going with only the horses today. I was lazy to book the carriage yesterday." Siyeon said simply, patting her brown horse and jumping up on him.
"Wha-" Yoohyeon stepped in front, pulling on Siyeon's clothes. "I see. I totally get it. You are that kind of woman who prefers riding a horse by herself, a cool lady with the trousers or whatever. But- I'm from the town, I haven't even sat on the horse by myself, not even talking about riding one!!"
Siyeon looked down at the younger girl, raising her eyebrows before bursting in laughter.
"Okay." She said and quickly jumped back, walking behind Yoohyeon who was severely confused. "Here, hop up." She suddenly held the taller girl with her armpits and lifted her up, receiving a surprised yelp from the latter.
"What are you doing!!" Yoohyeon yelled, trying to stand back on the ground but Siyeon held her strongly in the air.
"Just sit on the horse!" And Yoohyeon did as she was told to.
"Don't let go of me!!" She screamed and shut her eyes closed after Siyeon tried to sit in front of her.
"Stop whining and hold my waist when I'm sitting in front. But for that, you have to allow me to sit first!"
Eventually, Siyeon somehow managed to sit on the horse, Yoohyeon holding onto her waist like there was no tomorrow.
Feeling like she was about to lose breath the whole time, Siyeon also managed to reach the river.
She tied the horse to a tree before taking all the equipment and walking to a boat.
Yoohyeon looked at the river, remembering Bora's diary once again and taking a look at Siyeon, who was setting down the bait box she brought along with them on the boat before stepping in herself.
Yoohyeon sighed, feeling pretty much troubled.
Was it okay hiding everything this from Siyeon? After all, she did nothing but be the sweetest person Yoohyeon has ever met, yet she was keeping this kind of secret from her. Reading about her past life, keeping her nose in a case that wasn't her business. But... She wanted to know what happened more than everything. The chemistry between Bora and Siyeon, the troubles that they have, other characters like Eli or Seonghwa, and everything that kept transpiring in their life. She wanted to know where is Bora now, she wanted to know what happened to Siyeon for her to change like this.
But was knowing all of this worth of her dignity??
"Yoohyeon!! Wake up!" She heard Siyeon's voice yelling at her before she shook her head and glanced up at the blonde woman waiting for her in a boat.
"Oh... Yeah, sorry." She said and stepped in front, hopping carefully inside.
"You okay?"
"Yeah... I just dozed off."
"Do you know how to attach bait?" Siyeon inquired after Yoohyeon sat beside her.
"Uh... I've never even held a fishing rod in my whole life." She furrowed her eyebrows.
"You have never sat on a horse, never have gone fishing... Is there anything else to add to the list?" Siyeon attached the bait to both of the fishing rods with a chuckle, and then handed one of them to Yoohyeon.
"Lots of things, to be honest." Yoohyeon scoffed, "There aren't many fun things to do in the town." She said, watching Siyeon casting her reel into the water effortlessly while she struggled to work her own. She huffed. "How come it's so easy for you??"
She stared at her rod, trying to figure out how it worked. Siyeon came over to her with a shake of her head and put her hand on the grip of the fishing rod on top of Yoohyeon's palm,
"Keep your thumb on the button," Siyeon explained. "That loosens the line. Then you're going to bring it back—" Siyeon pulled the fishing rod backwards, guiding Yoohyeon's arm. "Then you're gonna throw it out there. When you're ready, if you've got a good spot for it, you let go of the button. All right?"
Yoohyeon nodded, feeling a surge of determination that was probably excessive for a casual fishing outing. "All right."
Yoohyeon guided her arm back again, and together, they cast out the reel into the river. "See? There you go."
Yoohyeon was bored pretty soon, though. Sitting in a small boat, the bright sun burning her head. Looking at the unmoving rod, she wanted to go back home, because apparently, nothing was going to happen even after an hour. Siyeon had already caught four fishes, yet none was coming for her rod. She puffed, closing her eyes and wanting to go back to her bed where she was sleeping very peacefully this morning.
That was before she actually felt a little tug on the string, pulling her arms.
She immediately stood up, giving out a little leaps and taking a gander at the blonde lady who was attempting to hold her.
"Siyeon!! Siyeon!!! I caught a fish!! Look! It's pulling m- AHH!!!!"
And she finished all the entertainment and enthusiasm by diving into the water.
"Oh my God!" Siyeon hung over the boat, "are you alright?!" She shouted at Yoohyeon who heaved for air subsequent to popping her head up from the water, clutching Siyeon's hand.
Being the clumsy she is, it wasn't that shocking for her, but Siyeon was laughing hysterically only after she made sure the younger girl was okay and hauled her back on the boat.
Yoohyeon sneered, having some water swallowed down while Siyeon was all the while laughing uncontrollably.
"Why are you laughing!!!" Yoohyeon whined, being all wet. Her dress, her hair, her skin, everything was drenched.
"Look at yourself! Are you really asking that?!"
Sitting on a horse with wet clothes and along with Siyeon who wouldn't stop laughing at her, they went home with only four fish.
---
The afternoon was bright, dust flying in the pleasant and warm air shining against the sun rays which came from the colourful windows. It was calm, steady, and comforting. Everything was perfectly gentle, but one messy person was ruining the idyll of the whole place just by existing.
"God damn it!!" Yoohyeon shrieked, groaning and almost ripping off the dress she was wearing.
Siyeon gradually slid her head into the attic room while clasping a cup of coffee, looking at Yoohyeon with an uncomfortably tight dress that she was wearing incorrectly and tilting her head. "Should I ask, or..."
Yoohyeon turned around, stomping her foot and screaming more. "I am done!! I proclaim that my life is so impoverished that I do not even have one proper dress to wear at the festival and I don't even deserve to go there with Minji!!" She cried out, sitting on the bed that was full of every dress that she had found in her suitcase and holding her head with her palms.
"Hey, hey, easy!" The blonde woman entered the room, strolling toward Yoohyeon and gently rubbing her shoulder. "You are going to the festival with Minji? Eli's daughter?"
Yoohyeon looked up to meet Siyeon's eyes after hearing her inquire and nodded her head "Do you know her?"
Siyeon smiled "Oh, of course, I do. Even more, she was only 11 when I first met her! She has grown so gracefully and so fast!" Siyeon said, looking down "Or, maybe I got old. But, wait, I didn't get the problem"
"I. Don't. Have. A. Proper. Dress. They all look like I'm a maid or something! Grey and gloomy colours, there is no life in them! While Minji looks so... Bright every time." The younger girl said in a sorrowful voice, pouting a little.
"When did you meet her? I don't think you have mentioned that you got to know her before." Siyeon asked while taking care of Yoohyeon's dresses scattered around the whole room and placing them back in the suitcase.
"I met her two days ago. When you were in the town, I wanted to take a walk when I came across Eli. Then, I stayed on her farm 'till the evening, that's where I met Minji. She followed me to the main road so I wouldn't get lost and told me she wanted me to go with her to the festival. So here I am, contemplating on my life's decisions that I took while buying this dress." She finished, pointing at the one she was wearing with both of her hands and sighed.
Siyeon chuckled, ambling toward Yoohyeon and messing her bangs a little. "And you are whining for the whole morning only because of that? Yoohyeon... You have no idea how many clothes I have, you could just come to me and ask for any of them."
The brunette girl gasped, lunging
up from the bed and meeting Siyeon's gaze with her enthusiastic eyes to make sure that she was being serious. "For real?!"
"Of course! Come along, I'll show you some so you can choose any."
Yoohyeon followed Siyeon with nearly jogging strides, pacing into her room and stopping in front of the dresser.
"Here. These are the dresses, here are corsets or belts, you can take any of them. Up there are hats that I like to wear, so please, take one of them too. If you'll need gloves, those are in the cabinet next to my bed." Siyeon exhibited everything to Yoohyeon and then walked back to the door. "I'll go out in the garden, now, I need to water my plants. Make sure to spend all the time choosing the right one."
And Yoohyeon did as she was told to, she took as much time as needed to choose the right outfit. She took the green dress with a black embodiment on it, black corset along with the same coloured hat, took the velvet green gloves and she was all ready when Siyeon knocked on the door.
"Oho, look at you! Green looks so good on you." She complimented Yoohyeon's choice, before walking to her cabinet and taking out golden earrings. "There is one thing you need for the outfit to be perfect, though." She said and took Yoohyeon to the big mirror, placing the earrings on her ears. "Now it's complete." She said with a warm smile.
Yoohyeon looked at herself, feeling like she was looking at a totally different person.
"Thank you so much, Siyeon. Now I won't be embarrassed to meet Minji." She turned around and gave the blonde woman a quick hug.
"Oh yeah, about that!" Siyeon exclaimed, "I saw her standing at our gate with flowers in her hands."
Yoohyeon narrowed her eyes, looking like she was attempting so badly to comprehend what Siyeon barely declared before coughing out.
"FLOWERS?!!??!?!"
Siyeon calmly took a look at the brunette girl, walking to the door and nodding her head meanwhile "Yes, if we are talking about the same Minji; a tall, pretty and young girl with black hair, then yes, she was holding flowers."
Yoohyeon looked like she just had a glitch, her body not functioning well along with her mind "D-Did anyone give them to her?"
Siyeon chuckled, shaking her head and closing the door after muttering "It's most probably for you, dummy."
Yoohyeon tilted her head, not exactly understanding what that sentence meant, so she just quickly took her hat and ran down the stairs.
Flying out of the house and walking up the garden with her quick jogs, she saw Minji standing out the gate, looking at the clouds moving fast while holding yellow tulips in her hands.
It was only after Yoohyeon stepped out from the gate that the older girl noticed her, a grin placing its own on her face.
She was wearing a blue dress, not too busy looking, nor not too simple. But she still looked great, and if the last time Yoohyeon thought that yellow would be Minji's colour, now she thought the same about blue.
Maybe she looked great in literally every colour.
"Oh, good afternoon, Yoohyeon." She said energetically, taking one step further to stand closer to the brunette.
"Hello, Minji. I'm sorry, did I make you wait for long?" Yoohyeon asked, suddenly feeling nervous as ever now that she was standing in front of Minji. She feared if she did too much with the outfit, maybe it would be better if she chose more simple clothes. But as soon as Minji complimented her with a smile, every worry vanished as quickly as it appeared.
"I love your dress, by the way. Green looks so nice on you." She said and smiled at seeing Yoohyeon's pink-coloured cheeks "And no, you didn't make me wait, I just arrived around five minutes ago."
Yoohyeon nodded her head, not being able to think about what to say next.
"Hi, Minji." Alerted by a faint voice of Siyeon they turned and looked over at the blonde woman standing at the gate.
"Oh, hello, Miss Siyeon." Minji bowed politely before looking up at the blonde lady once again.
"It's been a while, and you grow so fast."
Minji chuckled, shaking her head softly "It's been a while, yes. Mom always mentions how she misses spending time with you."
Siyeon's dismal smile reached her pale cheeks before she sighed out and leaned on the gate with her shoulder "You two can always come here, I'll be happy to have you. Especially now, that you got friends with Yoohyeon, it'd be great if you'd see each other frequently. I bet only my presence is boring for her sometimes." She finished with laughter, only to hear Yoohyeon protest about the last remark.
Minji watched them with a smile, nodding her head at Siyeon in the end "I will tell mom, miss Siyeon, she'll be happy to know you invited her."
"She always was invited, my darling. Now, have her at home before 9." She pointed at Yoohyeon with her head.
"9? Miss Siyeon, you know very well that the festival only starts with its true colours after the sun sets. At least give us two more hours." Minji pleaded.
"Yes, Siyeon, I promise I'll be home at eleven." Yoohyeon joined too as both of the girls nodded their heads, looking at Siyeon with longing eyes.
Siyeon laughed, "Alright, alright, get your pity eyes out of here and you can have time before midnight." She declared as Minji and Yoohyeon cheered, thanking Siyeon and starting to walk away as quickly as possible, afraid that she would change her mind. "Be careful on the way, though! And don't go near the river. Minji, Yoohyeon doesn't know how to swim!! Just in case..."
"Got it!" She heard Minji's voice yelling, before shaking her head and walking back into the house. She remembered the time when she was their age and knew how full of energy and passion they were at this moment. And that only made her smile disappear into sorrow and misery drawing her in more and more every day even though all the attempts to run away from them.
To Be Continued
I had to update yesterday, I know, but I got too involved in reading this twt au that I totally forgot T-T. Forgive me guys and I promise I won't forget the next time--
'Till Friday, guys! Ily<3