icy veins

In a quick motion, the brunette lifted her cat up and fastened the leash on its collar, so it couldn’t run away again. All the worry she’d felt until now, disappeared into slight exhaustion. She was happy about having her cat back but at the same time also scolded herself for the stupid idea.

Haley watched as the woman attached a leash to the cat, an eyebrow quirking in amusement.  Were cat leashes a normal thing?  She could have sworn those were specifically for dogs, at least judging by her experience with animals.  It looked utterly silly to her, but if it worked, it worked.  And if it stopped the cat from following her, she was supportive of it.

Clearly she’d never gone fishing with kids before.

“It’s fine, it’s fine! The amount of times my brothers have done this is kind of ridiculous. And terrifying.” Rogue fishing hooks and he aren’t exactly on speaking terms (one too many threads pulled and near misses tend to have that outcome), but for the sake of putting her at ease, the corner of his mouth quirked upwards and he laughed. His father and younger brothers had wandered off down the pier, and quietly, Baekhyun was thankful the twins hadn’t been around to see him get caught for it may have inspired an unfortunate game of ‘How many times can we catch Baekhyun hyung?’.

“Let’s just take it slow. It’s easy- just watch.” Nimble fingers felt around for the cool texture of worn metal before carefully and slowly pulling the hook free. Hardly what the man had expected to be dealing with on this particular Sunday (his father had decided to move fishing to next weekend’s agenda), but neither had he expected to see Haley away from her crafts. Long waves of blonde tumbling over slim shoulders and concern visible on her face, old fishing rod abandoned on sun stained wood- it all felt out of place on the pier and with him, he thought as he offered the hook back to its owner. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I didn’t really expect to see you out here… Trying to pick up a new hobby?

On top of being an official danger to society, the woman also felt like a total embarrassment for letting this happen.  Though, if she could be glad about any of this, it would have to be the fact that he was remarkably cool about all of it.  If she had experienced a fishing hook flying at her face at full speed, she probably would have pissed herself and then screamed her head off at the person that caused it.  But Baekhyun seemed to just laugh it off, to actually make her feel okay about it.  Almost like she didn’t just narrowly avoid killing someone.

She moved to help him remove the hook, tugging twice before realizing that it was really caught on his shirt.  Giving up rather quickly, Haley took a step back to let him take care of the damage.  He was probably much more experienced with this type of thing anyway, just like all the other residents who were born in town.  It was like fishing was a second way of life for them; it was basically like breathing.  “Yeah, I would have ripped a huge hole if I tried that.”

Once the hook was back in her possession, she moved to collect the rod as well.  “Thanks.  And sorry again for all that.”  His comment brought out a snort of a laugh, leaning back against the pier railing.  “What gave it away? My amazing technique?”  She sucked in a breath, rolling her eyes at the fact that she even had to have this conversation.  She should be at home with her candles and her camera right now, not on a damn pier.  “Grandma thought it would be a good idea, but maybe she’s not as wise as I thought.”

jieun wasn’t somebody who was overly religious, but she would be lying if she said in her darkest or most troubling moments she didn’t turn to the harvest goddess to help her out of situations. while her issues were never anything big, just questions on how to deal with her family,life, etc, this one was morally tugging at her soul and she had spent weeks trying to figure out how to handle it.

it wasn’t her fault in the first place. it was the post office’s.

how a letter addressed to yongdam had ended up her mailbox in marigold she didn’t know, but it did, and in her morning haze to open her mail before running off to see her mother to take her to the doctor, she had read things that weren’t for her eyes to read, and had become privy to secrets that were none of her business. it would have been easier to brush off if she didn’t know who the person was, but in towns as small as marigold and yongdam, it was impossible. she’d run into haley a couple times here and there, mostly in the markets when she stopped by the seo farms stall for some things. it was weird going there now, knowing what she knew about her family-or more so, her father. she could no longer engage in small talk and chatter like usual, staying unusually silent and spending more time looking at haley than buying her things and leaving. 

it was only after going to confessional after some time that jieun decided that the best thing to do was confront haley-gently. to befriend her, after all, from what she had prodded out of her elders, nobody knew all that much about her, though they had plenty to say about the seo family in general. during her down time, she had written a letter of her own, a letter of encouragement to the other, full of her favorite quotes and that she would always be there if she needed to talk. and then after more time of contemplating how to deliver the letter, she decided it would be best done in person. 

the moment came at an odd time, when the two had unexpectedly ended up in the same bar together. wasting no time, she took a seat next to haley, not caring whether she wanted jieun there or not. “i’ve never seen you here before,” she smiled, “and i don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. sometimes people come here just to relax or because they had an awful or stressful day. i know i came because i’ve been kind of stressed out lately. what about you?”

she could make a timeline of negative events that had occurred since that decision of his, all leading to the last letter she had received a few weeks back.  kijung had found the man and had given him a call to meet up the next time he was in town.  their father dropped the news that he had remarried and was now supporting step-children much younger than his own.  and to make matters worse, the only reason why the man had shown up in the first place was to beg for money from his son.

haley felt horrible about it.  not because she wanted her father to be in a good place, but because she knew how much her brother was looking forward to seeing him again.  kijung just wanted a nice relationship with the man that had raised him, but apparently, he no longer existed.  if she could, the woman would fly half way across the globe just to kick his sorry ass.

that’s what led her to the bar.  she wasn’t necessarily a stranger to it, though she usually only visited on weekend nights.  but when you were feeling down, there was nothing better than an ice-cold drink to drown your sorrows in.  and while she didn’t mind company, she wasn’t really expecting for jieun to occupy the seat next to her.

“yeah, i’m usually not here during the week,” haley replied before bringing the drink to her lips for a decent swig.  if she was going to have to talk to someone while in such a shit mood, she definitely needed to be at least a little buzzed.  “just trying to relax, i guess.  need someone to rant to or something?”

which brings them here, wandering around the town. it’s quiet, most people just about to start their day, only the sounds of camera snaps piercing through the silence. he’s only ever taken pictures when the sun is high on the sky and as it sets. so he is rather excited to see how these shots will turn out.

there’s a hummingbird flying through some of the flower patches, sunlight filtering through the spaces between the trees. it’s a wonderful scene, sungyeol immediately focusing his camera there with not so much of an angle to capture the shot as soon as he can. 

the best thing about teaching someone photography was that she could get in her own snapshots while showing him what to do.  much of her time was spent working for her family, either on the farm or at the market, leaving her with little free-time to actually work on the career she wanted.  unless someone needed specific photographs that they couldn’t take on their own, the title of freelance photographer was basically useless in yongdam, but that didn’t discourage her.  if she could take an hour out of her day to just try to find some nice shots, to build up an amazing portfolio, she would be one step ahead when she finally got out of the small town and back into the bustling city life.

she took a few photos here and there as they walked, mostly keeping her thoughts to herself until she found an opportunity to teach him something new.  it wasn’t until he paused to take a photo of a bird that she spoke up.  “birds can be tough to catch, so you have to be quick, but you should still think about your, uh, your angle.”  crouching down to the ground, she showed him the positioning that she felt would give a better photo, “like this.  if you have the time, use a few different angles so you can pick the best one later.”

jiho has always thought that the rivalry between marigold and yongdam was more subtler than expected. some people doesn’t express it verbally but their actions can speak otherwise; no matter how hard they try to mask their prejudice towards each other. often times while going on with her deliveries, she’d sense the aversion of others whenever they realize that she’s from marigold, although the general public seems to be rather welcoming. just like the old lady who orders from the stationary store every week and always invites jiho inside her home for some baked goods.

part of her wanted to just leave it at that and return inside, but she could already hear the nagging of her grandmother.  it was hot outside, and while the home wasn’t much cooler after she had made her meal, it was still the polite thing to do.  “you don’t have to stay outside, you can come in.  just take off your shoes,” wait, that was a common thing in korea.  she didn’t actually have to mention it every time.  “and, uh, yeah, you can come sit in the kitchen with me.”

Dogs could be trained to walk next to their human without a leash – so Nara figured that if a cat was trained to do that from a young age, it should be possible as well. That it wasn’t – or at least that it was too soon for that yet, she had to learn the hard way. “Cake!” the brunette ran through Yongdam, hoping to find her cat soon.

Her kitten, on the other hand, was running through the village, exploring freely. There was a lot to sniff at, like flowers and a lot of people to look up at with his big kitten eyes. That is, until he found someone interesting to follow and trot after.

The village was somewhat small, but when trying to find your cat it just seemed way too big. Nara felt like she’d run through the whole village three times already – although she hadn’t – and was slowly but surely losing her breath.

There was only one cat that she really wanted to interact with, and that was the cat that lived in her house.  She knew that cat well, knew that it wasn’t mean or sick or a stray.  But this cat?  This one she knew nothing about aside from the fact that it was practically chasing her in an attempt to keep up with her steps.

For what felt like a solid hour, the woman did her best to lose the cat.  Tracing lines in the dirt, she made every twist and turn she could in an attempt to confuse it, but nothing seemed to work.  She was doomed to having this animal follow her around for the rest of its days.

“Besides, you know what happens when you rush this stuff too fast? Demonic… evil blob things and unnecessary deaths. Which no one wants.” She paused, realizing exactly how weird her statement might have sounded, though it wasn’t a new feeling for her by any means. Unlike with other people, here she was willing to bother with clarifications– most people expected her to be weird anyway, and any clearing of the air would only disappoint the illusion they had crocked up about her. “When I was in Seoul…. I went and saw this movie. I don’t think I would ever mess with spells… Real deal ones, anyway. Or what everyone thinks of it. Too much to lose. I’ll stick to my fortunes, thank you.”

“Blob things?  Those would be pretty cool models for me,” the elder joked as she turned to take a photo of the field.  She didn’t necessarily understand all of the witchy things that the other had interest in, but she still thought it was pretty fascinating.  Even if she didn’t necessarily believe in it, just the idea of it all could be cool in theory.  “But I guess the deaths are the biggest downside, huh?” Haley hummed in acknowledgement, understanding where she was coming from.  “Maybe you should read my fortune again and we can see if less work is in our future.  Sound better?”

Jaejoong’s expression remains calm, but there’s a subtle movement in his jaw. He’s grinding his teeth, forcing himself not to scowl. He puts up with enough scorn without being made into a joke. Lucky for him, his cat is already pouncing in the direction of the photographer. Jaejoong takes a deep, heavy breath before speaking. “I can see you,” he says. “I can see your hair.”

One girl isn’t worth bothering himself over, but he’s already started and there’s no going back. The grass softly bristles underfoot as he makes his way over to the tree. He peeks around the tree to see the young woman with a camera in her hands. It never occurs to him that the snapshot came from nothing but innocent intrigue. “Why don’t you people ever leave me alone?” he says. “Give that to me.”

Candid shots were what made everything real.  It captured a moment in time that was so undeniably true that it could never be properly recreated.  By shouting out a warning or asking for permission before she could take the picture, she ruined the uniqueness of it.  The subject would no longer be natural, and the entire meaning of the photo would suddenly change.  Getting the perfect snapshot was definitely worth the few odd glances she would received throughout her career.

But it seemed like this particular man would do much more than just glare in her direction.  His footsteps changed direction, marching toward her very pathetic hiding spot to confront the photographer.  She hardly had time to greet the small cat that had approached her, a demand immediately tumbling out of him.  Raising to her feet, the woman gripped her precious camera tighter, a scowl suddenly forming at the unnecessary confrontation.  All he needed to do was ask for her not to develop it.

There was never an objective in mind, never a specific song in her head, but just the need to have something to fill her ears besides the rustling of grass as a breeze went by. Hyesoo was often caught in the middle, bored by how little happened in Yongdam, but overwhelmed by anything more that a larger city provided. “Your film roll says otherwise,” she retorted without any wasted time, scooting over in her seat to avoid her cousin’s touch. “Ah, I don’t? Because I feel really gross. My bra’s practically screamin’– must be dark magic at work once again.” Her voice deepened as she spoke, mocking the worries that some of the villagers were rather open about. 

The elder stretched her arms out with a sigh, taking a moment to breathe in the fresh air.  That had to be one of the biggest differences between living in such a small town versus a big city; she finally felt like she could take a moment to breathe.  “The camera captures things that you can’t see with the naked eye.  Like your nice features, for example.”  A small chuckle tumbled out as she rested her head in the palm of her hand.  It was nice to take the time off to just enjoy each other’s company. “You should use some of that magic to, you know, give us money.  Or self-harvesting crops.  That way we don’t have to work anymore.”

He’s peculiar. Anyone would be curious about the handsome young man taking a nature walk in the early morning, holding an open black umbrella above his head. He assumes that with his luck, there could be light showers out of nowhere. Even if it doesn’t rain, he’ll have at least protected himself from the sun.

Behind him, strolls the black kitten he keeps as a pet. –

He hears mewling, the high-pitched distressed kind of a frightened animal, on the other side of the road. Rain patters gently against the roads as he walks across, not minding if his clothes get soaked. The young man makes his way to the other side of the road and crouches down, gravel crunching underfoot. It’s a kitten. It’s a stray kitten with two crumpled legs, as if it’d been trampled by a horse. “Who in their right mind would leave you alone in the cold?” he murmurs. Jaejoong shrugs off his jacket, then gently wraps the frightened animal so he can take her home.  

Ji-Ji is only protective of him because of what he’s done since the day they’ve met. All the hissing and scratching comes from love instead of a possessed cat like some people believe. But, who could blame the townspeople? He’s never quite assimilated with everyone else, although he claims in earnest that he’ll always be a simple country boy from Yongdam village. His cold, intimidating demeanor didn’t help win people over either.

He tilts the umbrella back ever so slightly, then looks up at the sky. A clear, cloudy light blue just like his right eye. Jaejoong supposes that he could hide it behind a patch seeing how uncomfortable it seemed to make folks, but he doesn’t think it’s quite fair. 

Scenic photography, although it never pays the bills, would always be her favorite.  Immortalizing moments found in nature, things that could never be perfectly recreated, was so much more special than shooting poses with a model.  Anyone could take a photo of a figure dancing in a field, but not everyone had the chance to snap a honey bee darting to its next target, sunshine reflecting in its wings.  It took a certain type of talent to be able to catch these things, these little, amazing moments, and that’s what made her feel like an accomplished photographer.

For what must have been an hour, she stumbled through the wood, eye glued to the camera as she spied new subjects through the lens.  It didn’t take long for her to lose track of where she was, but the trails would spit her back out somewhere, so she told herself not to worry.  Part of the fun in exploring was getting lost in it anyway.

Just as the trees began to part, she spotted a dark figure floating by with an umbrella hovering above his head.  A brief glance toward the sky told her that there were no logical reasons for him to have an umbrella, unless he was the type of person to immediately burn in direct sunlight; a vampire, perhaps.  The sight was odd enough as it was, but the moment she raised her camera for a quick candid shot, a small black kitten hurried into frame.  It fit so perfectly in the strange picture, a mysterious figure -- one that most would shy away from -- with an innocent creature trailing his path. Her mind didn’t gloss over the contrast between them, a small smile creeping onto her lips as she raised the camera once more.

She didn’t want to.

As they walked, their hands brushed against one another’s — justenough to send electricity throughout Hyerin. They didn’t hold hands. No, thatwasn’t something they did. Not yet, at least. Not at this time. For now,brushing hands would be enough. For now, even this was enough to send a rushthroughout Hyerin. She had long outgrown her rebellious phase, but this feltsomething close to that. This felt close to being a teenager again, one whorebelled against society and what society wanted from her. This felt close tobeing alive back in the day.

Something in her should have sparked at the thought of this. Somethingin Hyerin should have walked away or inched further. Something in Hyerin shouldhave taken the note and distanced herself from Haley. Instead, she continuedwalking until they reached the back of the church, where the hammock she’d madefor herself was. Hyerin smiled at her friend before taking a seat, inching tothe side so as to make space for Haley. Whatever this was, whatever it meant, whateverit entailed, Hyerin was glad not to know. She pretended not to know, atleast. For now, she could be like this: carefree. Without the labels they puton this thing, she was free.

Plus, it wasn’t like Haley felt the same way, right?

As she sat, Hyerin looked up at Haley and shook herhead. “I doubt it. I’ve never even been outside of Marigold.” A laugh escapedher. “Except to go to Yongdam or the neighboring woods and lake, and those don’tcount.” Hyerin had a laughter like tomorrow: bright and beautiful. But, it wasalso afraid; no one knew what tomorrow entailed. “I doubt that makes for a veryinteresting life. Plus, eating a tomato in less than a minute sounds verydaunting. Very fun.” Now, she was just poking fun at Haley. It showed on her face.“I’d say, if that was the most fun thing that happened to me, I’d be soldfor life.”

what mattered the most was their friendship.  it wasn’t something that she came across often, especially when she found it difficult to socialize with many.  it was nice to have someone as lovely as her around all the time.  maybe it would be a bonus to kiss her every now and then, but it certainly wasn’t her main point of interest.  they could carry on forever just like this, and she wouldn’t mind at all.  for now, the simple brush of their hands as they walked side-by-side was more than enough.

they rounded the church to find a much more private area: a simple hammock tied between two trees, overlooking gravestones that laid in the background.  for many, she was sure that this scene would be a bit disturbing, but all haley wanted to do was capture the setting in a photograph.  it spoke wonders to her, seeing such a peaceful place nestled in a world of death.  it felt like a paradox, to be so alive and happy in an area that usually brought out sadness and tears.  it was utterly beautiful in her mind.

she wasted no time before leaning back against the hammock with her friend, a laugh escaping as they tipped backward with the combined weight.  “i don’t think you can really, uh, compare the two. your world is small, but that makes everything so much more important.  it makes you feel, like, bigger.”  haley leaned back once more as her friend laughed, “she made me eat it like it was an apple.  totally gross, trust me.”  she rolled her eyes, nudging hyerin with her elbow, “you’re so full of it.  i’m gonna bring you a tomato so you can experience my pain.”