ɬɧɛ ʂơ-ƈąƖƖɛɖ ℘ཞơ℘ɧɛʂყ

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Daegu, South Korea, 1954

The morning was just like any other. Awaking birds sang away their surplus slumber through a rhythm of random tweets. The shy sun merely peeped from behind the cracking dawn. And the seven shades of his blush reconciled with the soft clouds after hours of stone-cold darkness. It seemed cardinal indeed.

Yet something remained uncanny about that day. It was not the blushing sky though. It was not the chirping birds either. And, it was certainly not the winds that promptly messed with Amanda's soft, round bangs. Instead, it was the soothing melody of the flute that came along with it.

That was so very new!

With eyes deeply closed and ears instinctively conscious, Amanda devoted all her attention to the sad flute that warmed her soul. Not just the sweet melody, but also the proficiency of the flutist got to her. There was a thirst in that melancholy tune, a sense of longing and she related to it. Consequently, she had to find where it came from.

No, she needed to...

So, draping a white cloak over her cherry hanbok, Amanda carefully sneaked out of her parents' house. She jumped into her slippers and released herself amongst the frosty breeze, ready to scavenge through the woods for the serene harmony.

~

The morning was still young when Amanda found herself standing by the edge of the dense Dodong Thuja sup(forest). The music she impulsively followed had become louder and more apparent now. Every note and every beat was gaining clarity with every step she took. Certainly, the musician was nearby. And hence, there was no more turning back.

With a small flick of her right wrist, Amanda ridded her path of all the twigs and dried leaves. Did I not mention she was a strong witch with immense magical powers?

With a now clean path standing affront, she ventured into the forest, taking yet another step closer to the melancholy tune that had not decrescendo-ed in the last fifteen minutes.

"Where are you?" she sighed to herself as her feet ached and wept against the cold, harsh mud. The thin pair of slippers seemed to do little to no help. Her long flowy hanbok kept sweeping against the land, collecting dirt and twigs in the process. Nevertheless, she kept on walking, for her determination and her curiosity shone way brighter than her pain.

Soon enough she stumbled across an opening inside the dense forest. And much to her bewilderment, she found a handsome traveler sitting there, leaning against a willow tree, playing the flute as if he was born to do just that.

His back was facing Amanda and his eyes were closed, so he had no clue of her presence. However, Amanda didn't risk letting him know and breaking the melody either. So, she sat under another willow and listened silently, devoting all her heart and soul to the music that enunciated nothing but peace.

And just like that, minutes passed.

~

"Hey, are you okay?"

A small tap on the shoulder awoke Amanda from her momentary slumber and on opening her eyes, she saw in front of her, the most beautiful pair of eyes she had ever seen in her entire life. They were brown and they were deep, enough to drown her actually. For a moment there, she lost herself in that mesmerizing gaze. But when reality caught up to her, a pang of embarrassment rushed up to her cheeks, making the skin there, a fade crimson.

Her immediate reflex was to tear away from the intense eye contact and hide her blushing face. She believed that the gesture was rude and because of that, the handsome stranger would consider her a freak. However, what she didn't know was that her shy actions were actually making the flutist curious and intrigued.

"What's your name?"

Y/N's eyes widened as much as they could. The stranger didn't leave yet. But why? Did he not think of Amanda as some sort of a creep who followed his music into the dense forest and then fell asleep under a tree listening to it? Apparently, he didn't. But he should have though.

Women, especially in the 20th century, were not supposed to sneak here and there. They were meant to stay put and do chores, instead. Yet here Amanda was, following unknown men into deep seclusion. Doesn't that make her inappropriate and vulgar? Perhaps.

Nevertheless, the flutist didn't seem to think that way. He didn't look at her with hate or disgust. Instead, he held in his eyes a certain eagerness, as if he was dying to know more about this fair maiden who had followed his music like a moth to a flame.

And thus, he kept trying to build up the conversation, which so far had no reciprocation from the other end.

"Do you not want to tell me your name?"

He asked again. This time there was a glint of disappointment in his tone, more like the apathy of rejection. He truly felt like he was disrupting the girl's precious solitude. Maybe she didn't feel comfortable conversing with a stranger. Maybe, he was intruding on her personal space. Maybe...

However, unbeknownst to the oblivious traveler, his concern did wonders to Amanda's already restless heart.

"Amanda"

Just when he was about to give up, she blurted out. And soon, like the rising sun appeared a brightening smile on the stranger's face. Oh my god, what was he doing to her? The smile alone made Amanda squirm in her seat. She had never felt like this around any man or woman before. Was she falling in love?

Or perhaps, love was falling into her.

"Anneyonhasseyo Amanda. Mannaso Bangabsibnida. Naneun Jung Hoseok..."

From that day onwards began a new tale. Can't say it's a fairy tale for there was neither a fairy godmother nor any other magical entity to make things right. Well, there was one though but she doesn't appear until the next chapter.

Amanda couldn't refrain from meeting Hoseok time and again. In fact, it didn't even take that long for them to become the best of friends. Hoseok was a mortal human with a hobby of venturing into the unknown every now and then. Whereas, Amanda was a partially-mortal witch with a heart full of love. Partially because she, like any other supernatural creature had a significantly longer life span, but could be killed anytime by unnatural causes.

The two started uniting daily. They would sit under the same willow tree where they first met and would talk for hours without getting bored. Their families started scolding them for wasting so much time outside but none of them cared. All they cared about was how good each of them made the other feel.

Their friendship bloomed into something way stronger and just like that, they soon found themselves in the awkward zone of being more than just friends. They wanted to hold each other's hands but couldn't. They wanted to hug and caress each other in the most intimate way possible but they couldn't. They wanted to lock lips with each other and make out till their lungs tightened inside their ribs, but they couldn't do any of that because neither of them was certain if the other one felt the same way. Typical teenage love!

Nevertheless, the day came when Hoseok finally fetched some courage and decided to confess his love to Amanda. They met up as usual under the willow tree, where Hoseok, with a speeding heart, got down on one knee and professed his undying feelings to the one and only love of his life.

The simple gesture made the latter burst into tears and without wasting another moment, she crashed her lips onto Hoseok's, thereby confirming that she had been feeling the same way all along. The boy couldn't help but smile as he kissed Amanda back. His hands soon found shelter among her long, black strands while she draped hers around his neck. Both pulled each other closer until there was no gap left between them. Passion dripped from their stance as deep love enveloped them both.

In a shocking turn of events however, an arrow laced with a deadly poison came out of nowhere and pierced Hoseok's heart, killing the unfortunate fellow right on the spot.       

└──» To Be Continued ✎ 。

That was so late and I am so sorry. With exams constantly breathing down on my neck, I just couldn't write.