Chapter 11
Chaewon was at the dock again, though unlike many of the times before, she’s alone. To say she was stressed was an understatement.
“Fuck the stupid super moon.” Chaewon threw a rock into the pond.
“Fuck the stupid school.” Another rock.
“Fuck the stupid council.” And another.
“And fuck being a stupid vampire.” The last rock did more damage than it should have, water flew everywhere practically soaking Chaewon. She was never good at keeping her powers in check when she was emotional. It was times like this when Chaewon hated what she was. She would give everything to be a normal human with a normal life, away from magic academies and super moons. A life with her old friends, where she could be a teenager and skip classes, maybe even be prom queen (not that that’s something she would be interested in, she just wished she had the opportunity.) A life where she could grow old with Yena. Chaewon tried not to think about it, how eventually Yena would start to age and she wouldn't, but the thoughts sometimes wormed their way back into her mind. It’s one of her biggest fears, and it's inevitable.
A lone voice spoke out to Chaewon, causing her to jump, “Hey now, what did those fish ever do to you?” She had been so caught up in her own emotions she hadn’t sensed someone coming. “Yuri,” the vampire breathed out, almost in a sigh of relief, she wouldn’t want anyone else seeing her in this state, especially Yena. God Chaewon wouldn’t know what to do if Yena saw her like this, negative and bitter towards everything in her path, self resenting.
“You know, I figured you would be out here,” Yuri walked towards the edge of the dock where
Chaewon was standing and sat down, patting the spot next to her as an invitation. “After all you never came to dinner and I didn’t see you leave with Yena to go towards your room,” Chaewon slowly sat to join her, exhaustion weighing down heavily on her. “You’re quite the detective, aren’t you, Jo Yuri.”
“I mean I wouldn’t quite put it that way. A bit observant perhaps, but not a detective. Being a detective would require a mystery being solved, and you don’t need to be solved.” Chaewon chuckled, “Are you calling me a mystery Yul?” “Maybe, I mean who else but a mystery would be throwing rocks into a pond at,” Yuri glanced at her wrist, “10:37 at night.”
Chaewon glanced at Yuri’s wrist to make sure she wasn’t imagining things, “You aren’t even wearing a watch.” Yuri tutted, “Now now Chaewon, if you don’t believe me why don’t you check the time yourself?”
Chaewon was quick to pull her phone out of her pocket and check the time, Yuri was way too confident for it to actually be… oh it’s 10:37 on the dot. “Well I’ll be damned Yul, how did you know?” a cheshire grin spread across Yuri’s face, “It’s quite simple, Chaeyeon showed me a spell that places an invisible time tattoo on my wrist, only myself and other witches can see it.” The vampire was in shock, “Wait really? I’ve never heard of that…. OMG-is-that-how-Chaeyeon-always-knows-to-tell-Yena-and-I-when-it’s-time-for-check-in?!” Chaewon rambled, sentences quickly jumbling into single words.
Yuri let out a sweet wicked laugh, “Calm down Miss Cullen, I’m only joking. I knew what time it was because I took out my phone to video you giving the fish their own guest appearance on House Flipper. Though the fact that you believed in a magical witch time-telling tattoo really does show me a lot about your character.” Chaewon’s slightly agape mouth quickly shut as a brief way to restore her dignity, “Well the fact that you would lie to someone who clearly isn’t in the right state of mind tells me a lot about your character.”
Yuri shifted into silence staring out at the water, “Do you want to talk about it?” Chaewon let out a deep sigh, it sounded almost as if it were a laugh, “That depends, where’s Yena?” Yuri’s eyebrows shot up slightly in surprise, she didn't picture the couple to be one that kept things from one another. “She went to your room, probably passed out by now. Let me tell you that girl can put away some cake, I thought she was going to clear out the kitchen,” Chaewon laughed at the thought of Yena with her stomach slightly distended, filled with dinner and lord knows how much cake, waddling to their room to immediately fall asleep in their bed. “That sounds exactly like Yen, she always goes all-in, no matter what she’s doing it’s always one hundred percent.”
“So is there a reason she can’t go all-in on whatever’s troubling you?”
Chaewon faltered, “I suppose there are somethings she will be caught up to speed on come morning, however there are just somethings, well something really, that she can’t fix. She would destroy herself in the process of trying to fix something that doesn’t have a solution.” Yuri’s head cocked, to her it sounded like Chaewon was dancing around the truth, so she waited. Yuri waited for Chaewon with expecting eyes, not too pressuring but still present nonetheless. Chaewon broke, “Let me tell you something Yul, I’m a worrier. I tend to get stuck in a spiral of doubt and worry which causes me to be cold and stern. Hell, it’s the reason I first approached Yena, I figured she was the same as me,” Chaewon paused and looked at Yuri questioningly, “Do you know what a super moon is?” The witch wondered where this question would lead, “Well scientifically yes, though I suppose it has some supernatural mojo going on doesn’t it?” Chaewon gave a soft smirk, the tips of her fangs barely showing, “You would be exactly correct, apparently it has some weird effect on the wolves, fuck if I know what it all means though. Sakura is supposed to be looking more into it, but honestly at this point it’s a mystery. It’s probably the reason Yena went absolutely bonkers today.”
“Chaewon, why does it feel like you’re talking about anything and everything that doesn't have to do with you causing a meteor shower on the poor creatures of the pond?”
The vampire was quick to shut Yuri down, hurriedly waving her hands in front of her “No, no, Yuri I swear I have a point I’m eventually going to make,” Yuri raised a brow, “Eventually?” Chaewon gave a curt nod, “Eventually.”
Yuri sighed and looked out at the water, just like the night before it was calming, the water had finally stilled from Chaewon’s bombardments and fireflies danced around it’s surface.
“Remember what you asked me about last night?”
Yuri raised an eyebrow, “I asked you a lot of things last night Chaewon,” the vampire nodded, of course she would have to end up spelling it out. “I tend to get stressed easily, like I said I’m a worrier, not as bad as Yena but still, I’m obsessive. All it takes is one minor stressor and my mind runs to the same inevitable thought every time, it’s the one thing nobody can fix,” Chaewon turned to make direct eye contact with the witch. It was the first time Yuri had really gotten a good look at her tonight. Chaewon looked terrible, eyes sunken in and dull, the heavy weight of defeat she felt was obvious, “Yuri I’m a vampire, think about what that means, for me, for Yena.” It took a moment but suddenly it dawned on Yuri…
“You’re immortal. You’re immortal and Yena isn’t.”
Chaewon let out a cold chuckle, “Bingo. You really are quite the detective.” A solemn silence filled the air, “This super moon thing, I was fine in the council meeting but afterwards when I was heading to dinner I couldn't help but think of the implications it had, more protective and clingy wolves, a more protective and clingy Yena.” Chaewon paused, her lips curving into a soft smile, “Not that I mind when she’s clingy, it’s quite adorable really,” another pause, just as quickly as Chaewon’s smile had come, it vanished, fading into a frown. “My mind got to spiraling and soon enough I found myself here, mad at the world, mad at myself.”
Yuri took Chaewon’s hand in her own, a supportive gesture, “Hey now, I know I might be new to this supernatural stuff and all, but I’m not new to relationships, from what I’ve seen Yena loves you with everything she has, and you love her just as much. There might not be a solution right now, or ever really-”
Chaewon frowned, cutting Yuri off, “That’s not very cheer up-ie.” The younger witch huffed, “If you would just let me finish then maybe it would be cheer up-ie. Are you going to let me finish?” Chaewon gulped, “Yes ma’am.” Yuri smiled “Good.Now back to what I was saying; there might not be a solution right now, or ever really. However, what you do have right now is Yena, cherish the time you have, live in the now. I said, I might be new to all of this magic stuff and that’s true, but I promise you no matter what, I will help you search for a solution and be there for both of you along the way.”
A warm sensation snuck up on Chaewon and soon enough she was in Yuri’s embrace, smiling once again. Maybe now she can help explain the pull Yena felt towards Yuri, the pull she’s feeling too.