-|=|-
Walking toward the centre of the village, Yoohyeon and Minji didn't talk that much, only communicating with delighted smiles, both happy that they had almost nine hours before midnight.
"Ah! I totally forgot!" Minji exclaimed in a scolding tone toward herself and turned to Yoohyeon, making her stop walking, too. "These are for you."
Minji cutely brought the tulips in front, the tip of the yellow petals touching Yoohyeon's clothed chest slightly.
Minji watched as Yoohyeon's face brightened and a wide smile formed on her plump lips.
Yoohyeon softly shaped her palms around the flowers, her fingers flickering the tip of the black-haired ones. "How did you know I love tulips?" She asked in a faded tone that soon turned into a soft and faint smile.
"You just remind me of them." Minji brushed off her black hair threads out of her face to look at Yoohyeon's smile more closely.
"Thank you so much, I will cherish them with my whole heart," Yoohyeon said with courage, making Minji chuckle.
"You're cute." She confessed before beginning to walk again, blushing Yoohyeon running to follow her steps but not standing too close so her red face would not be seen that easily.
"What are we going to do, now? After all, we have time until midnight;" Yoohyeon asked after they got closer to their destination place.
"We can do so much! Well... So much but we can't go near the river." Minji awkwardly scratched her head, Yoohyeon chuckling at the behaviour.
"That's alright, I can't swim anyway." Yoohyeon consoled calmly with a confectionary smile.
Minji turned her head toward the slightly taller girl with a bit of surprise "You can't?"
Yoohyeon shook her head "You would laugh at me if you saw me fishing yesterday along with Siyeon. I fell into the water after so many attempts to catch at least one fish and ended up being all wet in the end. Plus, I almost drowned myself and if there wasn't Siyeon I most possibly would!"
The black-haired girl laughed, touching Yoohyeon's arm with her palm so she would have some support.
"And then, I had to ride a horse all wet with Siyeon in the front since I have no idea how to even sit on a horse in the right way!"
"You can't swim, and you can't ride a horse??" Minji asked as if those two facts were the most shocking thing she could ever hear.
"Do not forget the fishing. That's the one I'm most horrible at." Yoohyeon pointed her finger up and shook her head with a sigh. "I know you're probably thinking that I'm way too ridiculous to not know this stuff, but it's tough to teach yourself all these when you live in town."
The older girl shook her head, slowly and peacefully continuing the walking along with Yoohyeon "I don't think you're ridiculous. Even more, hearing that makes me want to teach you all those stuff!!" She exclaimed excitedly, looking at the brunette girl with a glittery smile "Well, I can only teach you how to ride a horse, though; 'Cuz fishing and swimming are connected with water, and we're not allowed to approach the water."
They both laughed, already reaching the festival through their conversation.
From Minji to the people Yoohyeon's eyes darted, eager and wistful. At last, they lingered on one away to the left, far back from the road. She looked at the big tent that was all lit up by the small lanterns that looked royal, villagers walking around with smiles on their faces, small stands on the side where you could buy food, sweets, fruit;
While some festivals were energetic and noisy, this one was for sure very calm and meditative.
Yoohyeon then looked at the dimly pink blossoming trees of the surrounding woods, from wintry wands to a flourish of bouquets, the blossom was given to every passing eye. She sighed out an amazed - "Woah."
"It is beautiful, isn't it?" Asked Minji with a grin, taking a look herself, too.
Yoohyeon came out of her reverie with a deep sigh and looked at Minji with the dreamy gaze of a soul that had been wondering afar, star-led. "Yes. I am so glad I came to this village. Oh, you can't even imagine."
Minji chuckled, a happy tint of pink glittering its way on her face "I'm glad to hear that. Let's make it more enjoyable!" Yoohyeon then felt Minji's hand holding hers, rushing toward the peach blossoming trees that were all around them.
In the spring sky, aloft to the blue above, the peach tree wands became the sweetest baby pink.
"Come on, you have to taste our strawberries. I can bet you've never tasted a strawberry this big and delicious!" She held the other girl's hand and took her toward the stands, while the latter followed her with a feeling of the joyous and cheerful ache of her chest that was nothing but pleasant.
"Hey, Minji. I actually have something to ask you." Yoohyeon pulled the sleeve of Minji's dress after they were done tasting all kinds of fruit, sitting under one blossoming tree while the pink and white petals were flying around them in the air.
"Yes?" The black-haired girl turned her face to Yoohyeon. Their shoulders were touching as they were sitting next to each other, leaning on the tree.
"Is the festival always held in the tent? That's kind of weird, to be all honest." She said, scratching her scalp awkwardly.
Minji laughed, her eyes disappearing into two crescent moons as she did so. "I know it might be seen as weird, but for me and the other villagers, it's the smartest idea!" She said with a small smile, taking her glittering eyes toward the big tent, seeing her mom and other women taking food inside. "Do you want to hear a story about it?" She asked softly, gazing at Yoohyeon again who was already looking at her.
Yoohyeon nodded, giving Minji an honest smile.
The latter sighed, crouching her legs up and hugging her knees "A few years ago when I was around 12 years old, there was this girl your age. She was almost 10 years older than me, but she always treated me not like a child, but as her friend. She constantly played with me, gave me gifts and protected me from everything. I truly loved her." She told, a sweet and nostalgic smile taking a place on her features "When she first arrived here, it was festival days, but at that moment when everyone was about to start celebrating, it started raining. All the lanterns got dimmed, food got wet, and everyone was about to go home, but she was the one that came up with that suggestion to all go inside a tent. I have no idea from where she brought this huge waterproof tent, though." Minji laughed at the memory, shaking her head softly "I remember being so amazed at that time..."
-=-
March 13; 1846
"Good morning, Miss Bora," Seonghwa said with a minor smile after the girl whose white face was harmoniously surrounded by a graceful hat satin walked out of her house. The son was fascinated by the woman's flexible body, and beautiful movement. Upon arrival from the door, the dress was slightly raised and the leg exposed, its delicate contours clearly reflected in the white, pale socks.
"Morning, Seonghwa. How's your day going?" She asked, honestly trying to keep up with the conversation. If she had three weeks to get to know this man, she would try her best to do exactly that.
"It's going fine. Though I hope it will go better while we're together today." He told and held out his arm for Bora to take.
Bora held his arm with a slight nod, as they started walking toward the festival.
"Is it your first time going to a prunus festival?" He asked while walking calmly with his perfect posture.
Bora nodded her head. "Yes, though I don't understand why it's called prunus if the peach comes in summer." She inquired with honesty.
Seonghwa smiled, tilting his head toward her "Because the peach trees start to blossom in spring, right in this period." He explained while they continued strolling slowly "Peach is the most important fruit in our village, so we celebrate when it starts to bloom. It's the time when the air is filled with the sweet scent of it, pink and white petals flying around."
Bora looked in front, smiling a little "You talk as if it's your favourite period of the year."
"I never said it wasn't, Milady." He answered, as they already reached the festival. He turned to her, stopping the walk and looking at her. "What do you want to do, first?"
Bora glanced at his consecutive posture, imitating it and straightening her back. "I'm not sure. You know better what can we do today."
"Alright. let's eat the fruit first, then. After that, we can think of where to go together." He indicated.
Bora just shrugged "As you say."
They still had to spend the whole day together. It wasn't like Bora cared what they would do, or where they would go. She just needed to show his father that they were together.
And that was it, actually. Nothing else was more to it.
"It looks like it's about to rain, don't you think so?" He asked while looking up at the sky, his slightly wavy hair touching his long eyelashes.
"...Yeah, I guess," Bora replied, staring at him hard. He was so handsome. Hot, you could say. But... Bora just didn't feel attracted at all.
She just felt like he would be such a nice friend. He's nice and makes her feel comfortable.
And that's it.
With a defeated sigh, Bora continued walking, Seonghwa following her.
"Are you in a bad mood, milady?" He spoke out in a peaceful tone.
Bora knew that Seonghwa was sensing how she felt toward him; he wasn't dumb, after all.
"Not really, it's just that I did not get enough sleep last night." She reasoned, looking in front and seeing a bunch of people. "Woah, it's still morning, yet there are so many people out here already."
Seonghwa nodded his head softly, "You have to see the number of people when it gets dark. Especially at fireworks time."
Bora stopped walking rapidly, taking a widened look at the boy "There will be fireworks??"
He chuckled at seeing the excited look in her eyes, "Oh, yes. Beautiful and colourful fireworks all around the sky."
Bora breathed out, already imagining the view "I can't wait for the night to come, then!"
"You don't want to spend this day with me that much?" He asked jokingly, making Bora chuckle. "But yes, I like watching fireworks, too."
Bora looked around, noticing the women she helped yesterday and bowed slightly to them while walking beside them. It looked like they already heard about her status so their bows were instinctual, dropping a deep curtsy in front of her and Seonghwa.
It looked like for the boy beside Bora, everything this was natural. But Bora hated it so much. Hated when people started to be scared of being around her to not make any mistakes. It was all so stupid. She liked to be on the same level as everybody, not judging people by their rank or position.
She sighed, taking her gaze from them to the front, looking at all the peach trees, the blossom bringing a sparkle to the springtime air. She was gladly taking in the beautiful view when the particularly familiar threads of blonde hair reached her gaze, fully taking her attention from anything else.
Siyeon.
Seeing her makes her relax a little, breath leaving her in a soft rush as she lowers her eyes,
"I'll be back real soon, alright? You can go take some fruit from the stands meanwhile." Bora turned to Seonghwa, holding his suit and pulling it a little to receive his attention.
"Where are you going?" He inquired only because of interest.
"I have something to say to my maid." She pointed toward the blonde girl. She hated to call her a maid, she never even called Gahyeon a maid. She was always her friend.
She didn't know why she didn't call Siyeon a friend, too.
Maybe she wanted to convince Seonghwa.
But in exactly what?
"Alright. Do you want strawberries or cherries?" He asked with a simple smile.
Bora replied before starting to walk away. "Maybe both?"
Seonghwa chuckled "Deal!"
The brunette girl turned around, searching for the golden head once again but with failure.
She looked all around, trying to detect her when she felt a warm breath tickling her ear.
"Who are you searching for, my lady?" Siyeon appears out of absolutely nowhere, her voice almost distant, thoughtful beside Bora's ear. Bora flinches before glancing at her, lifting an eyebrow and one corner of her mouth.
"You frightened me!" She chuckled, slightly hitting her arm.
Siyeon laughed "Mission is complete, then." She said in her usual mischievous complexion.
Bora tipped her head back and looked up at the blonde girl through her lashes, a grin spreading over her mouth while remembering the last night. "What were you doing?" She asked and fully turned her body to Siyeon.
The latter put her hands in her pockets and looked up, making a thinking expression while playfully swaying around "I was searching for my lady." She finally said and stopped abruptly in front of Bora, smirking down at her in an annoying, odd flash of irony.
Bora turned to face Siyeon but kept her eyes down, her cheeks faintly pink. So many people have called her 'their lady' but hearing it from Siyeon along with her raspy voice was definitely different.
"You must be not mannered enough not to bow down to her when you finally found her, then." Bora played along, lifting up one side of her lips into a smirk.
Siyeon stayed silent for a minute, blinking her magnificent eyes at Bora before falling down on her knees unexpectedly, holding Bora's dress.
"I apologize, miss. May I ask for your forgiveness for my immature behaviour."
"Oh my God." Bora let out a yelp, failing not to laugh and clutching onto Siyeon's clothes. "Get up!" She said while laughing, looking around to see if anyone was looking at them.
"Not before your majesty tells me she forgives me!" Siyeon didn't give up, failing not to smile but letting her head down so it wouldn't be seen.
"Your majesty, my ass!!" Bora bent down to whisper the words, clenching onto Siyeon even harder. But after comprehending the fact that she wouldn't obey her, she sighed, her dark eyelashes falling as her eyes close. "Okay, I forgive you. Now get up!!"
Siyeon stood up, straightening her posture and smiling in victory.
Bora scoffed, clasping her hands together under her chest "You're happy now, huh?"
"Very much." She grinned playfully.
Bora tch-ed, shaking her head "You're so arrogant." Told her before starting to walk toward the fruit stands.
"Mhmm" Siyeon nodded her head, walking away.
Bora stopped when she realized Siyeon wasn't following her, turning around. "Where are you going?"
Siyeon tilted her head at hearing the inquiry, chuckling before turning around. "I'm not an honourable part of the noble family like you, milady. I can't have fun walking around at the festivals. I have a bunch of farmer stuff to do." She smiled, nodding her head without saying anything more and walking away.
Bora furrowed her brows and clenched her fists, lifting up and down onto the tips of her toes in an uneasy matter. "When will you be finished?"
"Probably one hour before fireworks start." She answered, a bit loudly to let her know since she was already far away.
"Will you meet me here at that time??" Bora yelled back and saw how Siyeon stopped her walk, not turning around and staying silent for a second before nodding her head.
"Alright! I hope I won't have to go down on my knees again." She said with a smirk and continued her road toward the fields, making Bora flinch and look around with a shy smile after hearing her last words.
Walking back to Seonghwa, Bora couldn't stop thinking about the meeting she had just come across.
It didn't make sense why, but she felt her cheeks being warm and her mind being at ease.
Maybe that girl just had that impact on everyone.
Maybe not everyone.
Bora couldn't know.
"I am sorry for making you wait, Seonghwa." She said after standing in front of him, looking down at the two cups of fruit.
The boy shook his head "It's alright. I was away for a few minutes, too." He said simply and sat down on the bench, patting the side so Bora would sit, too.
The latter sighed, strolling to the bench and sitting beside Seonghwa. The guy handed her the fruit, eating his own meanwhile.
Bora glanced down at the cup of strawberries and cherries, then took her gaze to the clouded sky.
"It's ought to be raining, soon. I'm not even sure if the fireworks will work." Seonghwa informed, noticing how Bora was glimpsing toward the sky.
And as if the realm was listening to him, they saw the lightning colouring up the clouds, a big sound of thunder following up after a few seconds of it.
-=-
Yoohyeon stopped reading after she heard Minji coming back.
They had a deal that since Minji couldn't teach her fishing or swimming yet, she would start with riding a horse. So she went away for a while along with the tulips she gave Yoohyeon as a present to leave them in her house so it wouldn't crush and brought two horses along with her, leaving Yoohyeon under the blooming tree and giving her the chance to read the next chapter of Bora's diary.
Yoohyeon jumped up, running toward Minji who was followed by two big and beautiful horses. One was brown with big tints of white there and here while the second was all black.
Minji smiled "What do you think?" She asked softly.
Yoohyeon chewed on her bottom lip, hands clutching at the notebook she was holding. She looked so happy she could dance.
And Minji made it her silent mission to make her this happy at least once a day from here on out.
"I already love them! They're both so pretty..." She said with a fascinated smile.
The black-haired girl walked to her, holding her hand and softly guiding it to the brown horse. "Touch him, he's clean and soft."
Yoohyeon slowly stroked the fur of him, widening her eyes as soon as her skin met it.
"That's the one you'll be riding. His name is Pie."
Yoohyeon lifted up her eyebrows and looked at Minji with a confused twitch of her lips. "Pie? You named him Pie?"
"Whyyy, I love pies!" Minji chuckled "Wait before you hear the other's name, then."
Yoohyeon looked at the all-black horse with beautiful and long hair, tilting her head with an expectant smile. "What is it?"
"Cherry."
Yoohyeon laughed out loudly, shaking her head "You named a huge and large all-black horse-- Cherry??"
"Why is that funny!" Minji whined, playfully hitting her arm.
"I am sorry, I did not mean to laugh at it. It's just so ironic." Yoohyeon apologetically smiled "But I love it."
Minji looked back at Yoohyeon with newfound respect, her smile softening into something more thoughtful. "I love it, too."
"Okay! Let's do it, already. I want to ride him." Yoohyeon spoke energetically before abruptly turning to Minji "Teach me, please."
The latter laughed, getting even closer to her. "Okay, step here and sit on him."
Yoohyeon gave her a taken aback look.
"Don't worry, I'll be here if anything." She reassured, caressing her cheek to calm her down, not realizing how that action made Yoohyeon's heart beat even faster.
In the end, she nodded her head, slowly, with the help of Minji, getting on Pie.
She suddenly felt so high, like the ground was too far away for her feet to reach. She felt like she was floating in the air, that immediate thought making her dizzy as she clutched Minji's hands that were wrapped around her waist tightly.
"Hey, hey, easy. I'm here." Minji instantly squeezed her palms harder, feeling the shake through Yoohyeon's hands and making her know that she was there if anything. "Pie is really calm, he won't do anything unless we tell him to." She softly said and caressed Yoohyeon's skin with her thumbs.
The latter took a breath and looked down at Minji. She saw the glitter of honesty in each of her orbs, hastily calming down after spotting her soft smile.
"Do you want to ride together at first? It will be easier."
The second Yoohyeon heard the word 'together', she nodded her head as rapidly as she could. She thought how desperate she would look at that moment, but she was too scared to care.
And it wasn't like Minji would judge her.
Just when she was about to move back so Minji would have space in front of her, the latter jumped up on the horse, taking a seat behind her and wrapping her arms around Yoohyeon to reach the bridle.
Yoohyeon sensed how her eyes widened without her approval after she felt the two arms fastening themselves around her waist strongly, felt the warm front of Minji against her back.
It was as if Minji sensed Yoohyeon's surprised reaction and moved even closer if that was even possible, softly putting her head on her shoulder "This way it will be less scary, I'll be the one holding you from behind and both sides, while you'll also be able to see the scenery in front."
Yoohyeon felt her voice right beside her ear, felt the warm breath ditching her skin and the plump lips touching the lobe very slightly.
"I- okay." Her voice was shaky. Maybe because she was scared, but she realized how she totally forgot about fear when she felt Minji press on her body.
What exactly was wrong with her?
Minji squeezed her legs just a little and Pie took off, starting to walk toward the fields with the leading of the black-haired woman.
"Wait, what about Cherry?" Yoohyeon suddenly looked back, seeing the white horse calmly eating the grass.
"He'll wait for us, don't worry." She reassured as the horse started to walk a little faster, Yoohyeon clasping her hands on Minji's arms.
She leaned back on her body, putting her head on her shoulder and looking in front. "You can go faster." She talked out after feeling comforted by leaning on Minji, already being sure that there was nothing to worry about when the latter was with her.
And she could swear that she heard Minji smiling through the "okay" that she mumbled out, before squeezing her legs harder, Pie starting to flee through the fields.
The brunette at first felt so terrified after feeling the air rushing damp and cold past them, freezing against her skin. But she couldn't close her eyes. Not when she saw the tall green fields in front of them before they disappeared and the non-ending woods commenced.
"How are you feeling," Minji said out loud for Yoohyeon to hear, making sure that the girl was okay.
"I've never felt this delighted, Minji!!" Yoohyeon answered honestly, the biggest grin taking its place on her lips.
She felt an overwhelming sensation of rightness, of belonging, flow through her. It was like the darkness trapped behind her rib cage was suddenly set free and now there was just lightness, air.
She took a deep breath, her lungs filling with sweetness, and it felt like she could breathe better than she had in a long time.
And she screamed at top of her lungs though not because of fear. She felt like flying, widening her arms side by side and screaming again.
Minji laughed, her chest shaking against Yoohyeon's back before she shouted, too.
They came to a stop well before the field disappeared and the woods started up, and Minji helped Yoohyeon down after she got beneath first.
Yoohyeon was red-cheeked, out of breath. Her mouth a sweet, deep pink and her eyes sparkling as she smiled up at the older woman.
"This was... One of the best things I've ever experienced in my life. I think I have to get a horse in the town and go around riding it."
Minji chuckled, nodding her head "I'm sure that's a great idea." She took a breath, also being out of it because of the ride. "Let's tie him next to the stream and let him drink and rest. We can lie in this grass for awhile, maybe?"
They tied Pie to a low branch on a tree, letting him graze and drink from the cold water. They wandered out into the sunshine themselves, and Minji collapsed in the tall grass, practically disappearing until Yoohyeon crouched down beside her.
"At this point, I don't even want to go back to the town. I want to stay here forever." Yoohyeon whispered, "But my mom would come here with feet if needed and would drag me out of that attic."
Mini laughed, throwing her head back and fully lying in the grass, making Yoohyeon chuckle.
"I don't think you've ever told me about your parents."
"Yes, I guess that's true," Yoohyeon whispered with a smile, also lying in the grass fully now beside Minji. "My dad is a fencer while my mom's a teacher, a ballet teacher. Plus that, a really strict one. She never goes easy on me on the lessons even if I'm her daughter." She shook her head, the sudden feeling of missing those lessons hitting her like a hammer.
"Wait... You dance ballet?" Minji sat up, staring at Yoohyeon with an amused articulation.
"Yes. I've been dancing from the moment I started to walk."
Minji opened her mouth a bit, gaping at Yoohyeon's eyes. "You have to show me." She said out of a sudden, holding Yoohyeon's arm and dragging her up.
"Wait- What? No! I can't right now!" Yoohyeon shook her head with widened eyes. "Not without music."
"Why not? You can sing it while dancing." Minji suggested.
"That's... not how it works" The taller girl giggled, loving how much Minji wanted her to dance. "But okay, I'll try at least!"
Minji squealed, happiness illustrating her whole being while Yoohyeon's face softened into something entirely too adoring and affectionate.
Yoohyeon closed her eyes, positioned her body and took a deep breath before starting to hum. After a few seconds, she took a turn, placing her hands above her head with so much grace and class before jumping high in the air.
Minji opened her mouth a little, watching the girl turning in the air twice, her dress flying around her legs before she landed on the floor just like a feather with her feet.
She was so immersed in the music, in this dance that she still had her eyes closed, feeling everything around her with her arms swaying around like a wind. She felt the air touching her skin, felt the grass covering her feet. She even felt Minji's intense stare, even though she wasn't looking.
Her facial expression was peaceful, and soothing, and her eyebrows were meeting each other on her forehead. Only that one countenance counted so many feelings to her dance.
Every move she made was magical, and every one of it charmed Minji like a spell. She had never seen someone dancing with so much feeling, so much melancholy.
And only when she was done did she open her eyes, stopping singing and taking a breathless look at the other girl who had stood up meanwhile, her face expressing a feeling that was unknown to Yoohyeon.
"Did you..." Yoohyeon breathed out, taking a second to analyze what Minji's expression meant "Did you like it?"
Minji watched as she fought the flush of heat that wanted to splash over her cheeks, taking a few stagnant steps forward before flying into Yoohyeon's arms.
Yoohyeon was taken aback by the action, not being ready for the strong grip around her body which came from Minji.
The latter quickly straightened her posture, locking eyes with Yoohyeon and holding her arms. Her eyes were gleaming, her lips still apart from the shock. "I've never seen such a beauty conveyed by a human's body. You jumped high as if you were flying... And- and the moves--" She was out of words, shaking her head and hugging the dancer again, making Yoohyeon chuckle.
"So you really liked it, then." She said proudly, hugging Minji and taking her down along with her, both sitting back down in the long grass.
"Liked it?" Minji shrieked "Yoohyeon, I loved it! You have to show me your dancing skills every day now. And you have to sing to me to sleep with that angelic voice of yours! Wah, I want to meet your mother, now. If you're dancing like that with her tutoring, I wonder how good she might be!"
Yoohyeon laughed, feeling overwhelmed by all the compliments.
They talked about ballet for a few more minutes, or well... Minji told Yoohyeon every kind of compliment that she might have known and Yoohyeon listened with heated cheeks.
After they didn't have much more to talk about, they just lied there, in the grass and the soft air caressing their skin. And the sky was already getting orange when they decided to go back, not wanting to miss the fireworks.
On the way back to where they left Cherry, Yoohyeon couldn't stop thinking about the number of positive feelings she felt while being with Minji.
And this was the what, second time they met? Though they were already close to each other.
This warm feeling, sweeter than the nostalgia itself. Though Yoohyeon didn't know the name of it; So happiness seemed to be the best option to fill that gap.
"I have to bring them back. Will you come with me or..." Minji talked while they got to cherry, jumping down from Pie.
"Oh, I'll just wait here under the tree. You don't need to worry about being late, I have a book to read and I actually stopped on... Well, an interesting chapter." Yoohyeon reasoned with a smile, sitting down under the peach tree.
Minji smiled back, "Alright, have fun reading!"
After the slightly older girl was gone along with her two horses, Yoohyeon took the diary the second time today, continuing reading with such curiosity.
-=-
To Be Continued
I think at some point this is my favourite chapter so far... I just love how it turned out.
And I hope y'all enjoyed it, too.
Please, leave comments about your thoughts! I am truly the happiest when I'm reading your opinions!
Love you all,
<3