Midnight Tales | ✔

21

Jaehyun

After that day when we found the plant, changes around the place started to occur more, consecutively. The dead leaves from the tree on the back lawn, the stain Lola left on the carpet in the living room, and the arrangement of the books on the shelves. Soyoung seems to not notice it though.

You need to stay in order to save her.

Was this his will? For me to stay here? How can he ask me of such a thing?! He knows I have a life there, a career I love and friends I cherish. I can never exchange everything I have for something like this! Whatever his last will is, I don't care anymore. I just want to go back now, I still have a schedule to catch on to.

Standing up from the chair, I went to the bookshelf and took out the book The Fairy and the Woodcutter.

Make her happy.

I have no choice, I can't stay here.

Grabbing the book, I went downstairs. I checked the time on my phone and found that it was already four-thirteen in the afternoon. The living area, dining, and kitchen were empty so I went out to the back porch. I was about to call for Soyoung when I found her lying under the shade of the tree with Lola. Soyoung laughs as she plays with Lola.

Everything in there will start to disappear, and so is Soyoung.

I walked over to them and sat a foot away from Soyoung, Lola between us. "Mind if I join?"

Soyoung turned to me and raised a brow at seeing the book I'm holding.

"What?"

She shrugged. "Nothing, it's just I don't take you for someone who's into folktales"

I leaned on the tree behind me, as I opened the book. Started from the first page and pretended to read. I did not stop until I noticed Soyoung's frequent glace on my way. I smirked.

"You want me to read it aloud?"

Soyoung looked away in embarrassment. "I didn't say anything!"

Chuckling, I sat properly. Lifting my other knee to support the book and started reading the story aloud. The sound of the rustling leaves became our music as I read the words aloud. We just stayed there, the three of us—Soyoung, Lola, and me—under the shade of the tree.

"But once a month—on the bathing day, his wife would feel homesick and cry for her lost life. So the woodcutter decided that he would tell her the truth, figuring that her love for him would be enough because they were an otherwise happy family. When he showed her the hidden clothing, the fairy put them on, took up one child in each arm, and flew up to heaven. And the woodcutter was sad. The deer saw that the man was heartbroken and offered him a solution, once a month they lowered a bucket to draw up water to heaven. The deer advised the man to get into the bucket, which would draw him up and therefore reunite him with his wife. He did, and the family reunited. And they were happy"

I turned to Soyoung who was now looking at the leaves above her. The scattered light played on her face.

"But the woodcutter saw his mother who he left on earth and wanted to see her before she dies. So his wife appealed to the king of the heavens. The king gave him a wing horse to go down to earth for him to see his mom but advised him to never set foot off it or he'll be left on earth. The woodcutter did, and his old mother was overjoyed to see her son. She wanted to feed him, but he told her that he wouldn't be able to get off the horse. So she offered to bring the bowl of freshly made gruel to him so that he could eat it before leaving. However, the woodcutter spilled the hot gruel on the horse's back, and it reared up on its legs, knocking him off its back. The horse returned to heaven and the woodcutter died sad and alone."

"The end. It's not much of a story—"

I stopped when I turned in her direction. Soyoung must have fallen asleep while I was reading. She's now lying on her side facing me, hand on the sleeping Lola. Closing the book before me, I leaned on the tree and watch Soyoung sleep soundly.

"I'm sorry Soyoung"