The next morning, Jaeyun woke up in a good mood.
She smelled something delicious and turned her head to the coffee table.
Her phone vibrated on her nightstand and it was a cute message from Ray.
She smiled widely as she read the message.
'Good morning ♡ I made breakfast and a warm island mango(tea) for you. After you've done with breakfast, come to Utopia garden. I will be waiting for you ♡'
She did some stretching and walked to the coffee table and sat down feeling famish.
A warm cup of tea was enough to make her day better ♡
Someone knocked on her door and she slowly stood up to see who it was.
"Coming~"
As she opened the door, it was Rika.
"Can I come in?"
"Oh, rika~ Sure, come in! I was just having breakfast. Have you eaten already? If not, you can come to join me."
jaeyun asked as she smiled warmly at her.
"I haven't eaten anything yet, I would love to join you, of course. What were you eating?"
"Omelette that ray made for me~"
"Sorry to come by so early in the morning, I hope you don't mind."
"What's up? You've never come to my room this early, it's always at night. So, what is it that it's so important you can't wait for tonight?"
"You are really quick-witted that's why I like you, jaeyun."
"So, I was thinking of speeding up the process of your cleansing to tonight. What do you think?"
"Eh so fast? Isn't it in another six days? Why?"
Rika smiled and held Jaehyun's hands on the table. It made jaeyun startle by the sudden skinship.
"I'm anxious that you would change your mind. You've seen how they are cleansed. You've seen how Ray was before. I'm afraid you would leave after you've seen everything here and are bored of staying here. So, wouldn't it be better to cleanse tonight?"
"You don't have to worry Rika. I won't change my mind that easily. I'm sorry I was trespassing yesterday in the basement and seen what I shouldn't have. I apologize for that."
"it's okay, you are going to know soon anyway. You don't have to apologize."
"I need to go now, I'll see you tonight. Thanks for everything, Rika. I really appreciate your kindness."
Rika back-hugged jaeyun and whispered in her ears.
"I really want to run this place with you. I know we are alike and I really like you jaeyun. So, please stay here with me."
Rika lets go of the hug and wave goodbye to her.
"I'll see you later."
Jaeyun's heart was beating so fast.
She was determined to climb high but before she can do that, she needs Rika to trust her.
"Ray~ sorry I'm late! Have you been waiting for long?"
"Oh, you're here~ welcome! No, I was just admiring these flowers because it's spring and it's the first flowers to grow in my garden."
Jaeyun squat down beside ray as she smiled and thanked him for the breakfast he made for her.
"Do you know what flowers this is?"
Ray asked as he gently caresses the petals of the flowers.
"What flower are they?"
"There are called daffodil flower and they mean a new beginning."
Ray smiled sadly.
"You really know your flowers. I'm so proud of you, Ray but why do you look at it with such longing eyes?"
Ray stared at the flowers, his eyes look so sad. It breaks Jaeyun's heart to see Ray this way.
She felt a tight knot in her heart.
"The savior found me when it was warm spring and these flowers are the first one I saw by the streets. They also reminded me of someone who was close to me but he betrayed me. He was the reason I was on the streets. He promised that he would come to take me away with him but he lied to me! He made me so miserable. I long for my lost childhood with him but now it's just wishful thinking to have him come back."
Ray broke down in front of Jaeyun.
He felt his heart shattered to pieces thinking back of the past. It was a painful memory for him. He hung his head low as tears streamed down his cheeks. He sobbed uncontrollably as he held the flowers in his hands.
She hugged him close to her and patted his back as she cried with him. She felt his pain and she can relate to him so much. She too lost someone close to her.
"You said this flower means a new beginning right?"
"hmm."
"You can think of me, meeting me can be your new beginning. Fill me up with happy memories in your mind."
"Why do I always cry when I talk to you? You really bring this side of me out and I'm embarrassed."
"It's okay. You're going to be alright. You'll be alright."
Jaeyun comforted him as his body trembled. It was hard for jaeyun to watch.
After some time, he stopped crying.
"We should plant some flowers together."
Ray smiled widely, he was feeling better after Jaeyun comforted him.
"That would be nice. What flower should we plant for us?"
"Should we plant seasonal flowers or what do you like?"
"I don't know? What flowers are pretty, colorful, and smells nice?"
"Every flower is pretty, colorful, and smells nice."
Ray laughed hard clutching his stomach as his eyes filled with tears of joy.
He finds her cute as she blushed out of embarrassment and hits his arms playfully.
"Stop laughing, it's not funny!"
Jaeyun knows nothing about flowers as she only pretty much know are teas.
"How about a bleeding-heart ?"
"Or pink ice protea?"
Ray asked excitedly like a little kid as his eyes sparkled.
Jaeyun was confused by all the flower names he said.
"Huh? Pardon?"
The only flower she knows is the basic ones which are roses and lilies.
"I know! How about tulips? They would look very beautiful and they have a very fragrance smell~"
"Ohhhhh~ that would be nice! Let's plant some tulips."
"I'm so excited!"
"Same!"
They smiled happily and went to his car to the florist shop.
"This is the first time we went out together right?"
"Right."
"Do I have to use the blindfold?"
Jaeyun looks at his hands.
Ray observes her face. How sad she looks and stared at the blindfold in his hands.
"No, I was just going to throw it at the back of the seat."
Ray said and threw the blindfold away.
"Ajuuuu niceeee." (trans: very nice/ yes I love seventeen ♡)
"Hahaha, cute."
"You're always busy with work and I'm busy playing the game, we couldn't go out that much. Oh, right, speaking of the game, I don't have any notifications of a new chat room. Let me see what's wrong?"
Ray started to feel sweaty in his palms as he grips the steering wheel tightly because he has deleted the chat room on her phone.
He was prepared but not prepared enough because jaeyun was mad.
"Jaeyun."
"Eh???? Ray the chat room is gone????? How???? It's not under maintenance right?"
Jaeyun looked at ray as his palm start to sweat and he gulped down before speaking.
"About that, jaeyun, I decided to delete the game on your phone. You don't have to play it anymore."
"What the fuck? Why did you touch my phone without my permission? Why did you delete it? I was so close to finishing the game, Ray! Why would you do that? You said the game is important but why would you do this?"
Ray stopped the car at the junction ahead and turned his attention to face jaeyun.
Jaeyun was confused about what happened and wanted nothing more but an explanation from him.
Ray was not prepared enough to face her. She was far from mad but she tried to remain calm which made her even scarier.
Women are scary. Ray thought to himself. He needs the elixir because he can't handle the pressure from jaeyun.
"I'm sorry I use your phone without your permission. Please don't be mad. I don't want you to play the game anymore. It's useless."
"That is my decision to make. You are hiding something from me, right? No wonder I feel like it can't be a game. It's real right? They are real people, right? Who are they?"
"Jaeyun I'm sorry."
"No, I want to know what you're hiding from me. Tell me or else I'm leaving!"
"They are the RFA members. That is the truth. Rika planned to cleansed all the members and make them one of us."
"That's fucked up bro."
"I don't want them to get involved anymore, that's why I deleted the chat room on your phone."
"Why now? You could've done it earlier but why choose to do it now?"
"I didn't expect this either. I didn't expect us to be so close. I don't want to disappoint you."
"Dude, you made use of me? Do you approach me with an ulterior motive?"
"No, listen to me jaeyun."
Ray became desperate as he held her hands trying to calm her down from having a mental breakdown.
"Everything is planned right from the start too right? How long have you been watching me? A few weeks? A month? A year?"
Jaeyun couldn't hold back her tears anymore as they poured out.
Her vision blurred and she pushed his hands away.
"Then, are your feelings for me a lie too? The sadness you shared to me were all lies? The tears you cried were all lies?"
"No, jaeyun. They were genuine. I swear."
"Why are you crying? Are you feeling guilty for playing games with me?"
Ray hugged jaeyun tightly as they both sobbed but jaeyun had made her decision.
She can't stay with a liar and she can't listen to any of it anymore. It hurts her so much. She felt like someone had step on her heart.
"congrats you won this game, Ray."
What went wrong? I was so certain that my decisions were all right. What happened? What wrong mistake did I make?
Is this game over for me?
a/n ; This is the longest chapter I've wrote, I hope you liked it♡.