Red String (Series #1) \\ Ateez ✔

winter's redemption

JANGMI

Later that day, amidst the serene landscape, Jangmi found herself seated on a weathered bench, the powdery snow creating a soft cushion beneath her.

The delicate flakes danced from the sky and she sensed the approach of someone behind her.

Seonghwa, his regal figure softened by the tranquil scene, silently approached.

However, the snowy ground beneath him had other plans. Unbeknownst to him, an icy patch awaited his polished steps that made his composure crumble— literally.

In an unexpected twist of grace, Seonghwa stumbled on the slippery surface, arms flailing momentarily. Jangmi, who was already seated, looked up with a surprised yet amused expression.

Suppressing a chuckle, she patted the spot next to her on the bench.

"The snow seems to have declared war on your elegance," Jangmi teased with a playful glint in her eyes.

Seonghwa, regaining his composure with a hint of embarrassment, "Preposterous piece of land" He kicks the icy patch almost ruthlessly, but to Jangmi, It was more of a playful sight.

As they both settled on the bench, the unexpected stumble became the icebreaker that melted any remaining formality.

They sat in companionable silence, the only sound the hushed whispers of the snowflakes and the distant crunch of boots on snow. Seonghwa broke the quietude with a question that seemed to finally brew tension in the air.

"You poisoned yourself, did you?"

There was a short silence as Jangmi mulled over Seonghwa's question before an amused scoff cracked on her pale face.

"If one knew I poisoned myself, they'd go berserk." Jangmi paused before proceeding. "But since I actually did it, I might have to affirm that."

Seonghwa, his eyes reflecting an emotion he was trying so hard not to show, glimmered with concern as he then faced her. "Why did you do it?" There was a palpable tension in the air.

Jangmi, weakened but defiant, met his gaze with a sad smile. With a fragile voice, she responded, "The question here is, why not?"

Seonghwa's reluctance to accept such an answer was evident. He struggled to comprehend the rationale behind her act.

"I cannot understand why you'd resort to such extremes."

Jangmi, with a hint of vulnerability breaking through her resolve, whispered, "Sometimes, the choices we make are the only way we can retain control over our destiny."

She focuses her gaze back at the river and muttered. "Nobody gave me justice when I was pulled towards the trenches of hell. So I had to give myself one."

"As much as I am trying to mind my own, I am curious to understand."

Jangmi, tracing patterns in the snow with her fingertips, hesitated before responding. The quiet sincerity in Seonghwa's question encouraged her to share a part of her past she had long kept hidden.

"Beneath the snow lies a history of frost and shadows. Lady Minseo, Eunbyeol and Daeun, they became wreckers of my peaceful life. Their cruelty left scars that no amount of snow could conceal."

Seonghwa could listened attentively ins silence. His curiosity was not driven by mere nosiness, but by a genuine desire to understand the person beside him.

Just as Jangmi wanted to know about him before, he was eager to know about her too.

"So you poisoned yourself and framed it on her," He stated the obvious, the puzzles falling into place.

"Such a surprise you have a vigilant eye, Your Highness." She mustered out a meek laugh, a puff of cold air blowing across the scene before her.

The Prince then faced, Jangmi, her eyes that burned with a fierce determination fueled by a desire for revenge.

However, amidst the silence of the winter, Seonghwa broke it. "The toll might be unfathomable, but continuing won't bring you peace"

Jangmi remained still, the surge of pent-up anger towards the Kim Manor momentarily dissolved in the snow from the Prince's unexpected answer.

This was something she did not expect from him.

Jangmi, her fists clenched, retorted, "Why is it?"

Seonghwa who pondered for a brief moment parts his lips, "The moment you set your soul free from vengeance is the moment you are going to win, not when you have pulled them down and also pulled yourself into extremes in the process."

A sense of touched empathy radiated off her soul. She could feel the way the Prince said those long strings of words; it was as if he was speaking from his experience.

Though as much as she wants to yield, she conceals it by preparing a refusal.

"My agenda in life is none of your concerns, Your Highness," she declared, a defiant edge to her voice. "After all, it's little to no time before I finally leave the palace."

The unexpected proclamation left Seonghwa visibly shaken. Shock mingled in his expression as he grappled over her words.

Seonghwa, recovering from the initial shock, was about to question about her sudden decision when Jangmi raised a hand, cutting off his words.

"I had a special companion to finally gather the plant of hibiscus even when autumn has not yet arrived," She explained, a pause laden with significance. "As I said, it's little to no time before I finally cure you, and this brings us to the end of our contract."

The weight of her revelation lingered in the air, leaving Seonghwa conflicted, a surge of emotions bubbling inside of him in a way he couldn't put into words.

What's supposed to be a happy point of his life when he realizes he is finally getting permanently cured, is twisted into a devastating story when he realizes that the first person to ever place a marking on his heart is doomed to leave.

He tilts his head when Jangmi's footsteps leave imprints in the fresh snow register to him. She's walking away. Jangmi walked from him without looking back. The winter air was crisp and unforgiving, mirroring the intensity of the moment.

As she reached a point where the distance between them grew, she turned with her back facing him. The snowflakes gently adorned her hair as she uttered words that cut through the cold air.

"I'm going to stop now," Jangmi declared, her voice carrying a weight of resolution that echoed in the quiet winter landscape.

Seonghwa, his expression a mixture of curiosity and concern, ventured, "Stop what, Jangmi?"

Her response, though soft, carried the weight of a decision made.

"I'm going to stop seeking revenge," She clarified, the words hanging in the air as she faced the path of redemption rather than vengeance.

..