CENTRE OF MAGIC. | CYJ

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Kai takes her to the control unit of the train, the frontier. Hanuel follows. Kai has never actually driven a train, he has only worked to fix or make the train run smoothly. Hanuel's eyes are sharp, it moves from Kai's hand intertwined around hers to the switches that he he runs his fingers over. She picks up things like a student , an eager student. Kai wraps his arm around her waist, slowly slipping his hand around her right hand to lift it up on the panel. A blush creeps on her cheeks as she nudges his contact. Kai smiles, he finds his wife's behaviour cute.

"Well, darling. Now it's just you and me with our baby boy at the nurse, we should enjoy ourselves shouldn't we? ", he teases, growing closer to his wife. His back hug warms her but her focus is on the control panel infront of her.

"Darling", she gently wakes him up, his unrequited romance still continuing.

"You see, I am not much of an enthusistic lover as you are. Love is incredibly hard for me, it sure feels like a rose garden but I'm more drawn to it's thorns", she explains, words flowing out as her fingers glide on the switches as she turns around. she slides her hands around his neck pulling him closer.

"I don't know, love. I feel conflicted", she says as his arms secure around her waist. Kai doesn't assume much. Love in the fictional world is very different and difficult to decipher. He believes she knows the best.

"In that case love, we should have another child", he says boldly. Hanuel, who's positioned herself in front of him, her lips about to contact his but pauses when she hears his words. Her eyelids flutter open, a gasp slipping out of her mouth. "You're so naughty", she smacks his chest.

Kai laughs. He couldn't escape his wife's wrath (very cute). He smiles shyly slipping an Eskimo  kiss in between , Hanuel loving every second of it as his face drifts away to face the train conductor who stands at the door. Hanuel peels out her husband's embarce to stand next him, her head down, embarrased as his hand rests on her waist.

"Oh my god—", she whispers. Her husband's serious demeanor returning as he faces the train master.

"Romance in my cabin. unexpected. Is this how you behave in the public? have you no shame?", the train master stirs, Kai's expressions remain unaltered. He stands by his wife till the end, strong and supportive taking full responsibility of his actions. The train master was an old collegue of his, always bitter about Kai's ventures.

"She is my wife and this is the train I help build, I've touched every inch of this train and beneath my touch, my wife thrives. Are you perhaps sour that you haven't a wife?", Kai challanges, his voice modulating in a perfect pitch. Hanuel loses her wit, she ends up laughing a little. Kai turns but he isn't angry at her.

She bites her lower lip glancing at her husband. She moves her hand to his, his hand curling around hers like he deserves to, the train master's expressions combusting in bitter disgust.

"Let's go my darling. London has better places to kiss infront of than a bitter man who can't perceive love", Kai says as he walks her out of the frontier. The two burst out giggling as they escape, Hanuel takes him by his cheek kissing him as the train behind them ignites in motion. The kiss between the couple is sceneic, almost as though set in a movie. The platform watches in awe, some unbothered, but the two pull away and magnet back each other's embrace.

"I love you, my dear", Haneul murmurs as he rests his forehead on hers gently. "I love you too my dearly", he murmurs back, his hands swift ly wrapping around her back and lifting her up in arms. "I love my dearly. I love you till the sun and moon collide, till the end of light. If I was ever reborn, it would be you my love, forever you whom my heart would choose", he twirls her around.

He gently lowers his wife on the floor, dizzy and stumbling over her. Haneul gently supports him as she steadies herself. "Aw, husband. I promise you that you shall forever be young in my works. I want the world to know how much this bare soul beats for you", she says, gently sealing the promise with a soft kiss. The train behind them drives away leaving the train station stranded.

-

Kai's demise was not something Hanuel was prepared for.

A month and a week after, he passes away due to an inflammation.

She stands infront of his coffin, her barely three old toddler tucked in a warm blanket. The priest conducts the funeral. The church is left behind. Kai's aquaintances surround the place of burial , one of them holding an umbrella over Hanuel's head. The earth that he is about to be buried in smells pungent, the scent of dried leaves and stale mud diffuses in the air. The men are ignorant to the rain that spills over them, Hanuel is too, she doesn't feel the rain not just because she's under an umbrella but because it creates a chasm between her and her husband. His coffin is closed to prevent the rain from wetting his body, Hanuel is rather questioning the rain. She wants to see his face before he is buried. The pitter on umbrellas decreases gradually. She hurriedly passes Mhai to the person who holds her umbrella.

He fumbles at first , but holds Mhai safely. Haneul falls down at the foot of the coffin , attempting to lift the top. The men rush to hold her, "Please let me", her voice shakes as she feels a pair of hands gripping her arms, "Please. I want to see my husband", she begs. Her pleads succeed. One of the men, pities her and lifts the top to reveal his corpse.

"Oh love", Haneul kneels infront of the coffin, reaching out to hold his hand. She lifts it up her lips and kisses the back of his lifeless hand, "You look so beautiful when you're sleeping", she cries, her tears flowing down her cheek and touches the soft velvety bed he lays on.

"I should have agreed to fill my womb again, so that i would have another part of you to love ", she says, slipping her hand over her belly. She's unable to contain her grief, her expressions are showing discomfort, she looks at the sky—perhaps questioning, she turns her eyes back to her husband growing closer. She slides her other hand up his head, her fingers gently brushing through his soft hair. "You look very handsome my dearly. I can tell Mhai would grow up to look like you", she says, finally kissing his cheek to bid him farewell.

"My darling love", she kisses hi again, his pulses unresponsive. "I promise to find you in heaven", she kisses his lips one last time before she's pulled back on the ground. The men close the coffin sealimg all means of contact between the couple. Hanuel processes grief very very slowly. Mhai cries loudly because of his detachement from his mother, unaware of the fact that her second half is no more.

She gently recieves Mhai back to her embrace as she looks away. The men bury the coffin. Mhai calms down when his thumb reaches his mouth, he sucks on it as she pats his back. His delicate eyes wandering on the men clad in black burying his father.

The next morning she ends up at the publishing office, her hands clasped together and Mhai on her shoulder, "Please, give me some time to mourn my husband", she pleads.

"But miss Haneul, the deadline is near. We can't take back our promise to bring out a new classic every month. You know the hustle", the manager requests, he knows that dealing with demise takes time but flourishing in the market is another. It could lead to a loss of an established spot in the market.

"Please, I'm begging you. I have a child, who's barely five. He needs to be taken care of and I'm afraid that he'll contact influenza. I can't afford to take him to the hospital"

"But miss Haneul. This is our policy. We have given you enough time to come up with a classic. It's difficult for us to negotiate now", the manager explains.

"Please", Hanuel pleads, "I'm begging you", she falls over her knees surrendering her over to him. "I will quit this job and never come back to it ever again"

-

a/n : the funny part is, i actually end up coming back to this book everytime i feel conflicted. for the most of it, i kinda regret publishing this book but imma just wing it since its up.