Moonlight | Kang Mira

Aera.

Aera.

Aera.

I cough loudly, spitting blood on the soil as another bullet hits my left shoulder.

Aera.

Aera.

Aera.

"Look, bitch, look! Look how fun they're having!"

The man pulls me up from the ground by my hair, and slams me against the window glass. It shakes vibrantly, and cracks into multiple pieces; I wince at the pain in my eyes. Blood is trickling down to my eyelashes.

Aera.

Aera.

Aera.

"There's your sister." comes a sharp voice from behind and I'm pushed harder against the cracked window. I try to open my eyes to see Aera, but the glass shreds have already pierced through my pupils; there's nothing but darkness around me.

"Just look how fun they're having. Look!" the man speaks in a caring tone. He ruffles my hair, his hands trail down to my wounded shoulders, and he digs his finger inside a bruise. I inhale sharply, feeling my flesh stinging from intense pain.

But none of this matters. I need to save Aera. I really need to get her out of here, or else-

"Enough for you to see." the man grabs a fistful of my hair and throws me to the ground again. He starts tying my wrists with a rope, and stuffs a piece of cloth inside my mouth. "Now, let's have some fun, shall we?"

Moments later, another piercing jolt engulfs me; he has shot me on the stomach. I don't even have the energy to clench my fists. The man hovers on top of me, and I can hear him recharging his gun.

Aera.

Aera.

Aera.

Save me.

Please...

Aera...

I turn and twist my body, trying to get rid of the ropes tied around me. It feels suffocated, awfully lonely. There are screams which are making me lose control. 

You're a fool! 

A failure! 

A witch!

A curse!

You can do nothing, Mira! Nothing!

I swallow the lump inside my throat. Tears run down endlessly from my eyes. The guilt of not being able to save her, the immense regret for my stupidity- eats me from inside like a monster. 

Please, forgive me...

I can't live for this pain. I feel so ashamed, so low. 

Please...

The screams inside my head start dying out slowly. My chest heaves up for air; and I can inhale now. I open my eyes, lips parted and trembling as the nightmare subsides. My vision gets clearer by the passing seconds.

I breathe freely, after what it seems decades.

A white ceiling fan rotates above my head. The roof is painted in a pale shade of blue, and shadows cast on the surface makes the color look more blackish. After some moments, my eyes get used to the darkness. I look around, and find Yeonjun sleeping right beside the bed.

His head is rested on the white duvet, and he's snoring a little. I beam at him. Moonlight falling on the sharp tip of his nose, on the corners of his plump lips, on his sweaty cheeks, makes him look like an Angel from Heaven.

My Angel, to be specific.

My hands itch to touch his hair all of a sudden. Hesitantly, I reach toward his face with caution, trying not to make a sound, or a creak of the bed, but-

"Ah." I let out a moan, shrinking back into the sheets as a sharp pain soars inside my waist. To my utter regret, Yeonjun jerks his head up, looking a bit lost at the source of sound at first. But then his eyes find mine.

"Mira, you're awake!"

He whispers while looking around, the shine in his black pupils rushing back. Yeonjun leans in, holds my hands, and breathes sharply.

"Can you hear me? Just nod if you do."

I nod a little, because the pain on my waist seems to grow when I move an inch. He sighs, color blooming on his pale face. I can spot dark shades under his eyes, and his cheeks are swollen. His eyelashes are dripping wet.

He's been crying.

At my perplexed gaze, Yeonjun smiles guiltily, and wipes away his tears. "I was having a bad dream, that's all." he stands up, his lips trembling. "Oh my, Mira. I'm so glad that you're awake. You were unconscious for solid two days. Wait, I'll call Ms. Yurin."

Yeonjun retreats. I stare at his disappearing figure. Now my eyes turn to the surroundings around me, but my mind is still clogged for too many thoughts.

He was definitely crying. Was it for me? Why would he cry, though? He doesn't even know me well. If I say that we are strangers, it won't be a very wrong statement.

It must have been past midnight. I'm inside a huge hallroom, there are rows of white beds at my right, at my left, and at the opposite side of me. Only the creaking of fans can be heard in earshot. Everyone is sleeping soundly, or turning aside and pulling the duvet up their heads. Now I can realize why was Yeonjun whispering at me earlier.

I close my eyes, mind playing the most recent events inside my head. I see everything in reverse; a bunch of lilies falling on the pool of blood, Yeonjun holding me tightly in his arms, my knees giving up, his white suit turning crimson, him leaning forward to kiss me, him saying 'Yes, I do.'...

I turn my head at the sound of footsteps in front of me. Slowly, Yurin appears at the door. She lets out a gasp, clutches her chest and runs to me. Yeonjun follows her from behind.

"Mira!" Yurin lets out a cry, and throws her arms around me. "Mira! Oh my, you're really awake!"

"Ms. Yurin." Yeonjun says in a low tone. "Patients are sleeping. Please, keep your voice down."

"Oh, yes. I'm so sorry." she bites her tongue, then leans back. I smile at Yurin, feeling joyous to see her again. She holds my hands and places a soft kiss on top of them, her voice shaking. "Mira, it's such a relief! I'm so glad, so glad..."

Yurin turns to Yeonjun, a look of deep affection in her eyes as she mutters. "And you... you helped..."

"It's okay." Yeonjun starts shaking his head. "Please, don't-"

"You removed that bullet. You helped her to survive. Obviously, you are sent from Heaven." Yurin shakes her head. "You don't even know her well, but you have helped Mira a lot. I'll forever be indebted to you."

"Ms. Yurin." Yeonjun looks slightly uncomfortable by her praising. "Don't say that. I'm sure you did more for her than I did."

"Don't compare. You're not good at arguing, I get it." she smiles at him in victory. Then she turns to me, her eyes burning all of a sudden.

"Those bastards! They shot you because Yeonjun agreed to marry you! A bunch of scoundrels- horrible pieces of shit- they dared to interfere in the wedding..."

What?

"I took a good care of the man who shot you." Yurin hisses under her breath, looking extremely outraged. "I beat him into a pulp, smashed a flower pot on his head, kicked his groin until I made sure he won't have the ability to produce children. That piece of shit-"

"Ms. Yurin. Quietly." Yeonjun says in a pleading tone, as a patient beside my bed shifts for our loud conversation. Yurin clenches her fists, glowering like a mad woman. 

"Well, your father threw a super annoying tantrum." she states in a grave tone. "He thought the bullet was meant for him. Huh, a scaredy-cat! Ran into the house and threw the pillows at anyone randomly... and what else he didn't do. Well, thanks to him, we got to clear off the scene quickly, so we could rush to the hospital. That gang really helped. They thought their boss was attacked, so..."

I really can't bring myself to say anything.

How much inhuman can a person be?

"H-how come you-" I start to speak, but wince in pain instantly. Yurin shakes her head to stop me from talking.

"You're asking how come I'm here, right? Well, I don't care anymore. If your father refuses to let me in, I'm going to come back to you. I think it had been already ten years as the contract said. He can't actually target me for breaching the law, you know."

My heart warms up by her words.

She has been staying only because of me.

Yurin caresses my hands gently, looking relieved. I flash her a soft smile, my eyes shifting to Yeonjun. His foxy eyes are already stuck on mine, and he starts blinking because of being caught in the act. I laugh at his stunned expression and he only chuckles. 

"Well, I'll leave your wife to you for now." she stands up, a smug grin forming on her lips as she gives him a silly wink. "Have fun- no, wait. Wrong time. Don't have fun. Keep it saved for later, won't you?"

Huh?

"See you in the morning, Mira." Yurin turns to me and smiles, completely ignoring the blush on the man's cheek. "Don't worry, you'll get better soon." then she leaves the hallroom with soundless steps.

"Yes, go back to sleep, Mira. Wait, have a glass of water first." Yeonjun stands up and goes to the table beside the bed. "You need to drink a lot of liquid and soup."

"Did you... do this?" I point at my bandaged waist, then look at him. Yeonjun nods briskly.

"Well, it was sheer luck. If we had wasted some more thirty minutes or so, nothing could had been done. It's Almighty's wish that we got to reach here fast."

"Oh." I say in a small voice while staring at him. He looks deprived of sleep, and terribly shaken. His face is still pale and ghostly white. As he comes back to me with a glass of water, I whisper.

"Thank you. For saving my life."

He lifts his head up at my voice. I take his hands between mine and whisper again.

"Thank you, really. Thank you for waking me up from that nightmare. Thank you for all the things you have done for me. None ever did that before."

"Mira." Yeonjun looks down at our entwined hands, a smile bloooming on his lips. "You know what? If none did that to you before, they just lost a chance." he places a kiss on top, and whispers. "But I know how it feels to see life slipping from the tip of my fingers. I won't let that happen to you, too."

I get overwhelmed by the funny feeling in my chest as his kiss leaves a burning sensation on my hands.

I think they are butterflies. 

"So, what's your opinion?" Yeonjun tilts his head, staring at me intently. "Do you want to stay with me? Or, I can arrange another house for you and Yurin to live. I don't want you to be uncomfortable at any cost."

"I think staying with you sounds better, Yeonjun."