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it’s oddly warm.
sae-byeok rubs at her eyes tiredly, cracking them open and glancing around. she can feel the sand underneath her fingertips, on her legs, can hear the flowing of water and the birds cawing overhead as they fly by, and her sleepiness melds into confusion. where is she? she doesn’t remember coming here, doesn’t remember anything that had happened up to this point, and she sighs softly, reclining back with her forearm resting over her eyes as she tries to think of what happened, how she got here.
although the sun is relentless, it feels kind of nice, like a heated blanket tossed over her body. still, she’d rather not damage her eyes. she needs those. there’s sand on the bathing suit she’s wearing, and as she looks around, she notices an orange sunhat resting on a chair. odd.
she still doesn’t know where she is - this place is foreign, but it’s something she would definitely remember if she’d been here before. it’s beautiful here, serene and peaceful, and she wouldn’t trade it for the world. if only cheol was here with her, then it would really be perfect. she tries to steer her mind away from that, for now; it’s too late to do anything.
“kang sae-byeok.” she sits up abruptly, looking around for the owner of the voice; tears well up in her eyes, threatening to fall as her gaze falls beside her. she’s standing there, her hair as perfect as always, her nose piercing glittering in the sunlight, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears as well. sae-byeok doesn’t even sit up fully - she twists her body and tackles ji-yeong to the ground, burying her face in the other woman’s shoulder.
“ji-yeong,” she gasps out, her lip trembling as she speaks, “i thought-” she cuts herself off with a stilted sob. ji-yeong’s hands press into her hair, gently combing her fingers through the onyx strands.
“you thought what, sae-byeok?” ji-yeong says, as patient as ever, and sae-byeok chokes down a sob, shaking her head. she doesn’t want to ruin whatever this is, and ji-yeong hums softly. “i left to go get us mojitos, like i promised.” sae-byeok has to remove herself from ji-yeong’s shoulder so the woman can distribute their drinks, and the crystalline glass feels cold in her hands, a starking contrast to the sand and ji-yeong’s skin.
sae-byeok closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, tries to control her trembling, biting down on her bottom lip. this feels too surreal. “where are we?”
ji-yeong chuckles. “that dream you had must’ve scrambled your brain.” at sae-byeok’s glare, she raises her hands, a soft flush on her cheeks (that sae-byeok is sure comes from the heat). “we’re on jeju island. i’m making good on my promise.”
someone cheers from far away, but sae-byeok can’t hear it over the thundering sound of her heartbeat in her ears. jeju island, like she promised? “it’s beautiful..” she can’t help but say, standing to take in the view.
it isn’t a lie, either; the cerulean water crashes against the fair sand, leaving small treasures on the beach’s shore, crystalline and glittering in the sunlight, and a cluster of amarathine-coloured flowers sprout in the scattered shade of coconut trees. the sky rivals the cobalt blue of the ocean, clear of clouds as far as the eye can see. the sight is honestly breathtaking, and sae-byeok feels a little overwhelmed at the sight of everything.
ji-yeong places her hand on sae-byeok’s shoulder, brushes back the bit of hair that had fallen into sae-byeok’s face because of the wind, and hands her the glass she’d left on the ground. “before it gets knocked over,” ji-yeong explains with a smile that rivals the warmth of the sun, and sae-byeok takes a sip of what’s in the cup.
it tastes like strawberries and lime (though that may just be because of the lime slice that’s pressed onto the rim of the glass), and it goes down easily as well. she looks down at ji-yeong, then up to the view again, taking another drink of the mojito.
ji-yeong finishes her drink first, but waits until sae-byeok is done to take both of their cups away, placing them down on the sand right next to where sae-byeok had woken up, then grabs the orange sunhat, placing it on her head and jogging back over to sae-byeok. it matches with her bathing suit, a lovely orange colour that makes ji-yeong seem vibrant (or rather, more vibrant than she already is).
sae-byeok takes her hand, intertwines their fingers, pulls her over to the water. it’s cold, and she stiffens ever so slightly, scowling as ji-yeong laughs. she tugs on ji-yeong’s arm, pulling the other woman into her, and as they collide, sae-byeok loses her footing. the water is freezing. she shivers, glaring at ji-yeong, who’s sprawled on top of her, a blithe smile on her gorgeous face. “this is all your fault.” she grumbles, though eventually relaxing in the water.
as her body gets used to the cold cerulean, the feeling from earlier comes back, and she reaches up and cups ji-yeong’s cheek, her shoulders trembling and her eyes glossy with tears. “i missed you, you know..” she murmurs, quietly. she’s struggling to swallow down her still-beating heart, chewing on her lower lip as she avoids eye contact with ji-yeong, shakily inhaling and trying her hardest not to let the tears fall. she can feel the redness of her cheeks, the twitching of her nose as she holds them back, and she tilts her head back, up to the sky, squeezing her eyes shut.
“i know, kang sae-byeok.” ji-yeong whispers, dropping a gentle kiss on the crown of her head. “i missed you too, but it’s okay. we’re here now, aren’t we? together.” she says, resoundingly, listening to the aborted sobs and wet sniffles that come from sae-byeok. once the first tear breaks free and slides down the side of her face, the rest follow in an unbroken stream.
sae-byeok scrubs at her nose, biting down on her bottom lip so hard it bleeds, and the taste of cruor in her mouth makes her gag. her chest aches with the force of holding back her sobs, and she leans forward, burying her face into ji-yeong’s shoulder once more.
after a long moment, she lifts her head, rubbing at her reddened eyes and wiping her nose again. ji-yeong smiles sadly and stands, helping sae-byeok up off the ground and out of the water, sighing softly as she looks down at her bathing suit.
“c’mon, sae-byeok,” ji-yeong says, and sae-byeok follows her back to the shaded area, hand in hand. ji-yeong sits down and pulls the other woman down with her, laying back with a soft sigh. “together, right?” she asks, sticking her pinkie out towards sae-byeok.
sae-byeok stares at her for a long moment, contemplating, before she links their pinkies together, smiling softly. “together.” she nods resolutely. ji-yeong smiles.
“i love you, kang sae-byeok. i’ll see you soon.” she says, and sae-byeok nods.
something is wrong, though. she doesn’t feel right, she feels hazy, like smoke that lingers thick throughout the air. spots flash before her vision, and ji-yeong isn’t here, she died, remember, sae-byeok? it feels so real, though, she can just reach out and touch her, can’t she?
she’s lightheaded, her breathing coming out rapid and shallow. her side aches harshly, stinging and throbbing in pain, and when she presses her hand to her side, it’s warm and wet; the metallic smell of blood fills the air as she lifts her trembling hand, coated in violent red. she collapses against not-ji-yeong’s side, gasping for air that doesn’t fill her lungs.
she screws her eyes shut, and when she opens them again, she’s back. the lights are dimmed, and someone looms over her. through the fog that clouds her vision, she realises that it’s sang-woo; the lights reflect off the knife in his hands, and as he looms over her, she smiles.
she’ll be with ji-yeong soon.