바실래아

≡ pt.2:: ↷

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"I don't believe in magic."
the young boy said.

the man smiled.
"You will, when you see her."

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Jiryun giggled, a wide and proud smile on her face as she scrolled through her phone, flaunting her Instagram pictures as she posed in a variety of luxury brands until a candid photo of her in her ballerina outfit popped, indicating that it was the end of her mini showcase.

“Wow, you’re so pretty, especially in that frock of yours!”

“It’s called a tutu, but whatever,” Jiryun corrected the girl opposite her, as Hyomin sat on a desk beside her, nodding in approval.

“That’s pretty great, not gonna lie. Anyway, do you know what I got this year as a little holiday gift? It’s a little early, and it’s not much, but it’s so beautiful?”

“What did you get, Hyomin? Jewellery? A perfume? Maybe a car?”

“I got the pink corduroy bag for the latest Chanel 2021 Fall Edition.”

“No way!” The girl exclaimed as Jiryun furrowed her eyebrows.

“Ya, how is that possible? There were only three of those bags that were imported to Seoul, how did you get your hands on one?” Jiryun speculated, crossing her arms as she leaned comfortably into her seat.

“Oh, simple. My uncle, who lives in Switzerland, sent it here after he came to know about it. He sure is up to date on all the knowledge in the luxury world, isn’t he?”

“Gosh, you’re so lucky, I swear, I’ve been wanting to buy that Chanel beauty for so long, but unfortunately, I missed my chance. Whew, I’m so jealous, Hyomin.”

The girl smirked at this, twirling her hair as the other girl, Minkyung, stared at her in awe before turning to Jiryun.

“What about you, Jiryun? What did you get?” Minkyung asked, replicating Jiryun’s posture.

“Um, I-”

“Oh right! Sorry, I forgot. You don’t even have parents, right? How are you gonna get any gift at all? Oh yeah, you have an aunt. Suits you, a filthy aunt for a filthy orphan-”

“Minkyung!” Hyomin snapped, sensing Jiryun’s change in mood.

“What? I was just telling the truth,” Minkyung defended, huffing.

“Umm, I- I will be right back,” Jiryun murmured, clenching her fists and shooting Hyomin a fake smile, then dashing out the door, her tears flying off her cheeks due to her speed.

As she reached the ground floor, she zoomed right past Changbin and his friends by the vending machine and disappeared out of their sight.

Changbin took a moment to register what happened until he realized soon enough and ran right after, dropping the soda can in his hand and leaving his friends with perplexed looks.

He ran frantically and scanned the entire stretch of their school grounds, checking meticulously in every nook and cranny.

Arriving at the last place, the only area he hadn’t searched, he panted from all the jogging, bending with his hands on his knees as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.

In the distance, he heard faint sniffles and rushed to its source, till he found a girl on a bench, underneath the bleachers, with her back turned to him. Her body moved with every breath she took, and Changbin approached her, gently tiptoeing on the carpet of dry leaves under the sole of his shoes.

“Hey,” Changbin let out, catching her attention and causing her to notice him.

She made a hasty attempt and wiped off her tears, then answered him with a weak nod, biting her lips. Having gained her permission, he placed himself on the bench, seated inches away from her as he tapped her shoulder.

Jiryun looked at him and settled back properly, taking in multiple deep breaths while she calmed down.

“You might be wondering why I’m crying, right? I saw you come after me, were you worried?”

“Well, maybe. I’ve never seen anyone run so fast, so I was curious. But then, I recognized it was you and I wanted to know who made you cry. Out of curiosity, again,” Changbin spoke, hoping Jiryun wouldn’t misunderstand him.

He was worried nonetheless, yet, for some strange reason, he preferred to conceal his feelings rather than letting her know and causing his fear to come true.

Upon hearing Jiryun’s light chuckle, his worry simmered down, and he leaned forward, placing his arms on his thigh, with the means to be closer. Jiryun hesitated for a few seconds, then inhaled once again before opening her mouth.

“A girl I know, or thought of as a friend, hurt me. Um, she said some things about my parents and my aunt, and, uh, it was kinda overwhelming, so I, I escaped. I ran away, instead of confronting her.”

Changbin gently placed a hand on her back after much consideration, encouraging her to continue.

“Remember when everyone would ask me, back in middle school, why my aunt dropped me? I told you  my parents died in a car crash out of fear that I would be judged, but I was lying.”

Changbin could feel her walls crumble ever so slightly as her guard lowered, but he kept listening to her without a word. He felt more than sorry for her. In fact, his heart panged so unusually at her words and an uncanny thought went through his mind: ‘I feel bad for her, I feel sorry.’

He stared at her side profile as she divulged her story to him, and felt the trust she blindly put in him. Rightly so, he promised himself that he would never break it and began to focus immensely on her words.

“My parents abandoned me, to be honest. They just left me alone at home, and went on with their lives. My aunt said that, uh, she found me all alone there, thanks to a friend of my parents. Turns out, my parents left me because of some bullshit financial losses and some made-up shit that they were struggling, or so I thought. Until they jumped off a bridge by the Han River, exactly four years after.”

Jiryun shivered, burying her face into her hands as Changbin stroked her back.

“I am grateful to my aunt for adopting me and not leaving me alone when she found me, but for as long as I can remember, I’ve always wondered what life would be like if they stayed.”

“Why would you think that? I mean, shouldn't you hate them? Why would you want to be with them?” Changbin puzzled, meeting her gaze.

“Sometimes, I do hate them. But, sometimes, I wish they were there. I wish they were there for my birthdays, my ballet audition, and my middle school graduation. I wish Dad was there when I found math hard. I wish Mom was there when I wanted to tell her about my first kiss-”

“You’ve had your first kiss?” Changbin uttered in a smoky tone, his deep voice startling Jiryun.

“Well, yeah, I’m not a saint,” Jiryun chuckled a little loudly this time, and Changbin smiled along with her.

In an attempt to get her mind off the unpleasant thought, Changbin impulsively reached for her, wrapping his thick, muscular arms around her and pulling her into a heartfelt hug.

Jiryun, shocked, did not move until she realized what he was doing, and returned the hug. Changbin broke it off moments later, once he understood it was getting too long for a ‘friendly’ hug.

“Jiryun,” Changbin called huskily, and she liked the way her name rolled off his tongue, as his face softened at her reddened eyes.

“I don’t want you to get hurt. I want you to be happy, and love the life you’re living, even if it isn’t what you dreamed of. I know it probably feels weird coming from me, but I truly wish this.”

The words warmed her and made her feel safe. It was true, she never expected Changbin to be this way, yet, she was thankful to him.

It’s possible that the gratitude was mixed up with several other emotions, and she would never admit it, but she felt a strong attraction toward him thanks to his caring words.

“I have no idea why I’m telling you this,” he continued, his fingers grazing past her own, “but I promise you, Ryu, that I’ll be here for you.”

And with that, a spark that they never knew existed was ignited. The glow bloomed gently, but surely, it wouldn’t be long till it turns into a full-fledged fire, and sets their relationship ablaze with their hidden fondness and affection for each other.

It wasn't just sympathy - it was love.

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