𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐂𝐄 : 𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐁𝐈

❝ they send me away to find them a fortune❞
xxi. jades: missing pages

──

The brown leaves detached themselves from the old tree, the autumn atmosphere calmed all the tense souls. The bitter-sweet smell of fresh caffeine and roasted coffee beans mixed with the air, luring the 10-year-old Jimin inside the café. The baristas were in constant motion, serving the customers to satiate their thirst for java. Jimin had his eyebrows knitted turning the pages of his favorite book hurriedly.

Chaeyoung was seated before him, she arose from her place and balanced her weight on the table using her palm trying to take a sneak peek of what he was doing. "Hello, I'm Chaeyoung," her face was lit up brightly when she introduced herself to the person who she is going to live with and the latter looked up from his book and took a glimpse of her. 

"I'm Jimin," he replied with no emotion visible on his face. "What are you doing?" she questioned trying to build a conversation between them when Jimin was clearly trying to dodge her questions. Jimin sighed, there is no use in trying to escape the frisky young girl's presence, she was indeed hyper. "This is a book from my favourite author, the last two pages are missing from it," he responded sadly.

Jimin added, "This was the last book the author wrote before they died, and they only have a few copies of it. I really nagged my mother a lot begging her to buy it for me in the auction, and now it doesn't even have an end." Chaeyoung in return just giggle in response, "Is that all?"

"You know, my late mother used to say 'when your path seems as if it's ending, pave a new one. The world is limitless for brave and strong souls who seek the future.' She was always strong, even on her death bed she smiled and told me you're gonna be fine," Her voice broke when she remembered her deceased mother's last memories. Jimin whispered a sorry for which Chaeyoung just smiled.

"But how is this gonna help me with finding this story's ending?" He questioned. Chaeyoung wore a smile on her lips and looked at him, "You write your ending." Jimin was dumbfounded by Chaeyoung's suggestion, he traced his fingers on the unfinished line of the story and thought for a while. "How can I continue a masterpiece? wouldn't it be a disgrace to the author?" he said.

"Every wish of a desire should be fulfilled, or they would torture till our soul's demise," Chaeyoung quoted a line from the book Jimin was reading. "You have read this book?" Jimin questioned in excitement and interest. Chaeyoung smiled softly, "I'm the biggest fan of her."

"No way, I have all her works. I'm her biggest fan," Jimin defended. "Trust me, Jimin. And I swear she wouldn't mind if you complete her unfinished book, rather I feel like she would rejoice. After all, she breathes in her words; continuing her writing would bring her alive," Chaeyoung spoke. "I'll try, thank you," Jimin was grateful for her help.

"Chaeyoung, if you don't mind, can I ask you a question?" Jimin bit his lip nervously. "Sure, what is it?" she uttered. "My mom and I saw you at the funeral of your mother. Your father was crying his heart out but, you didn't even shed a tear. Every part in me screams that you despise your mother, but my heart knows better. Why?" He was surely ashamed to ask her such a fatuous question, but his curiosity took the best of him.

"You see Jimin, it's really simple. My mother, she believes in nature's law: only the strongest survive. She always wanted the best for me and trained me mentally and physically to be strong. Crying would only prove that her teachings went in vain, the last thing she asked me is to stay strong and I'll do it for her. Stupid cancer could only destroy her body, not her teachings."

Jimin noticed her using present tense for her mother, who died. He didn't correct her saying it was a grammatical error because he understood that Chaeyoung believes her sole mother is alive, alive inside her heart. Chaeyoung pulled a deck of cards from her pocket and showed him, "my mother was really good at playing cards. She always used to play with me, I could never win against her so I just cheated. My mother knew I did dirty tricks, but always let me win. One day, I won against her without cheating and I was so happy! She said 'I always knew you had it in you,' and then coughed, coughed, coughed, and coughed. Father took her to hospital and she was diagnosed with cancer."

Jimin didn't know how to comfort her. Just then, he saw his mother and Chaeyoung's father entering the café holding hands. "So, baby how did it go?" Chaeyoung's father questioned. Just as her mother died, Mr. Jade always noticed Chaeyoung feeling empty and numb. He knows, losing someone close to them would change anyone drastically. He tried to fix her broken pieces, trying to fit her dead mother's place but, he knew he could never do that juggling with his job and family. And then he met Jimin's mother, someone he thought could fill the place. 

Chaeyoung, on the other hand, appreciated her father's effort but, she didn't want a new person in her life claiming to be her mother; stepmother inside her messy life. Her father didn't pay any heed to her words, thinking she is too young to understand and positive that he is doing the best for her.  She didn't want her father feeling bad, she cared for him even though he was unable to understand her situation. She tried her best, she tried to be strong and fit into his puzzle.

She nodded her head with a smile, "Jimin would make a great stepbrother." The two nodded their heads happily looking at each other, it somehow disgusted her slightly; how a stranger could replace someone who devoted their life for them. To be accurate, she was rather disappointed. Disappointed in how weak her father is, how desperate he is to escape the prison.

Jimin somehow comprehended what Chaeyoung felt. He grabbed her hands and smiled, "Chaeyoung, I'll finish the book soon and we can read it together." The younger one embraced him into a hug, "I trust you. I know you can do it!"

Chaeyoung's father paid the bill and started to leave, the other two tagging along with him. Chaeyoung, before leaving crushed two papers and threw them into the dustbin. "I'm sorry mother, I'm not worthy enough to be your successor," she whispered. Chaeyoung tried to complete the story, the one her mother wrote before passing away. And everytime she read the ending, she would only cry remembering how her mother made everyday of her past life better no matter how sad it was. 

It made her weak and Chaeyoung, gave away everything that made her weak. She wanted to strong, she will be strong and no one can replace her.

──

❝ A chest filled with diamonds and gold❞

+ if you didn't get it, Chaeyoung is actually who believes she is and wants to be strong, but is weak without her mother/someone who knew she was weak beneath her facade. The author of the story, which had two pages missing was her mother.

+ Jimin was motivated to complete the story (he wasn't aware about the author's identity) and however became someone who believed 'pen is mightier than sword.' He always thought Chaeyoung was a strong person. However, the more he dwelled into books, he started to embrace peace into life, Chaeyoung started to become more and more obsessed with the thought of becoming strong, she she could never be replaced (like her mother) which started to make Jimin hate her.