Through the Looking Glass (TXT x Itzy)

twenty

Day five arrived, marked by thick black crosses on chaeryeong's calendar that she never used. Which meant it was time for her to go.

She was sitting on the floor of chaeryeong's room, hugging her knees and idling staring at the ceiling. She planned to leave when she knew all of them were asleep so that she wouldn't get caught. Maybe they'll forget her within a week. It's not like she was that important to them. Beomgyu was nicely patched up from their previous not-so-great encounter, thanks to taehyun and his never-ending complaints.

It would be pretty easy, considering how two-thirds of the people living here would come home half-dead. They'll drop off to sleep within seconds. Chaeryeong, on the other hand, had the stamina to last a whole night, so that was a bigger issue. Ryujin contemplated hitting her in the head to knock her out, but she figured chaeryeong wouldn't appreciate it, to the point the girl may track her down just to kill her.

That would be fun.

But it seemed that she didn't have to worry about that. Chaeryeong had stumbled into the room that night, groggily muttering about her throbbing headache, before she slumped over in bed, still dressed in sweaty, unclean clothes. Oh well. At least she could go now.

Giving the sleeping girl one last look, she whispered a "bye", before slipping out the door.

Then she turned right smack into Beomgyu.

"Where are you going so late at night?" The boy asked teasingly, surprisingly alert as he leaned against the wall.

"No practice today?" Ryujin deflected, making a move to grab her dagger and wake up Dallie, who was curled up as her own pillow dreaming of strangling and swallowing mice whole.

"Are you going somewhere?" Beomgyu repeated, his eyes trailing across the area as Ryujin went to snatch one last tangerine.

Flicking her head to meet his eyes, she replied, "I'm going home, thanks for everything."

"Wait, you had a home?" Beomgyu straightened, looking mildly shocked and angry.

"Yeah, but it's really far, and I'm not fantastically happy about going back, but well." She tucked her knife into her pocket and turned, "I got my duties to complete."

"Where do you live? Just curious."

Tilting her head invitingly, Ryujin said, "Wanna come see? I bet it would be really different from what you're used to."

-

"When you said you'd bring me to your home, I really didn't expect that you would live in this well," beomgyu said, peeking down into the dark and seemingly bottomless pit. Heavy droplets of rainwater splattered down, marking their clothes with wet spots.

"I don't live in it," Ryujin retorted, exasperated, "But it'll bring me home."

Beomgyu looked like he was reconsidering requesting a room in the mental hospital. But ryujin didn't give enough time for him to voice his concerns before she hopped onto the rim of the stone well, gestured for him to follow suit, and then slipped off.

Beomgyu slammed against the wall, looking down in panic, thinking the girl pretty much killed herself.

"I'm not dead Choi beomgyu. Calm the frick down. And while you're at it, come down too." Her voice was distant but there.

It was as if the well was beckoning, whispering in his ear.

So he did one of the dumber things he has ever attempted. He let himself drop down the well.