A Body Of Water; A Mind Of Light

Tears

The sound of thunder makes the souls of the townspeople tremble. But Jeongguk doesn't mind it. It's almost like he can hear it sing… Maybe it's his brain. It functions differently than others. It always finds chaos charming. Yes… He doesn't mind it at all.

Jeongguk now walks to the inn to meet with the girl after exchanging a couple of short texts. This isn't weird. Just normal. An opportunity to test himself. To see if his mind will play nice.

The young boy never goes out with strangers. Sadly, his friend Yoongi left on a fishing expedition with his father's crew and he's expected to come back after the storms have passed.

"Hi," the girl suddenly interrupts his thoughts, waving at him from the front door of the inn. 

"Hi…" Jeongguk doesn't know what to say so he just stares at her, waiting for the girl to speak.

"You look nice," her eyes wander on his purple shirt and leather jacket.

"Ah, thanks. You look good, too…" He murmurs shyly, taking a glimpse of her dress and long coat. 

"Shall we go?"

"Sure… It’s this way."

Jeongguk turns around and walks along with her towards the beach. It's a 10-minute walk to the bar. The wind isn't strong enough but Jeongguk thinks it will rain again later tonight. 

As they walk silently, his eyes wander on the storefronts of the closed shops.

Wind chimes… The sound of them then echoes in the distance and Jeongguk tries not to gasp when his eyes catch sight of their reflections. The woman looks normal. Exactly as she is. But his… well… 

Jeongguk stops abruptly when he watches a black silhouette soaked in water. Its hair is full of seaweed and its skin is full of pink seashells.

"Jeongguk?" The girl says, grabbing his sleeve lightly. “Is everything okay?”

Jeongguk is not okay. His reflection has been substituted by a weird creature that follows the movements of his body. But then, when Jeongguk moves his head to look at the girl, the weird reflection doesn't move an inch. It just stares back at him with eyes flashing green like emeralds.

"It's… nothing… Let's go…" Jeongguk tries not to look back at the weird figure. It’s all in his mind. Everything… Just a hallucination…

The girl nods, releasing his sleeve and following him towards the bar.

Jeongguk doesn't look back. But if he had, he thinks he would have witnessed the weird silhouette. His mind is playing tricks again.

It always does when the storms come… It's something that not even the great Kim Seokjin can solve. A puzzle where half the pieces have been scattered in the sea…

As fear creeps into his mind, Jeongguk's hand dives in his pocket, feeling the pills he always carries with him in case he has an episode. 

This life… can sometimes be insufferable… It's like an invisible prison, where he rattles the bars. But no one is there to set him free.

No… There are no bars… Just a boy, sitting on the surface of the black sea, surrounded by a white veil of condensed vapor, hugging himself tightly and wishing that life was easier.

The endless sea spreads in his mind. Jeongguk needs to hold himself tightly. Because if he lets go, the same black boat will appear on the horizon and the green light from the lighthouse will disrupt his tranquility.

A clap of thunder. 

The storm is here…

Inside…