In The Arms Of Morpheus || CHOI SAN

XXXIV

 
 
The wedding day seemed to have arrived earlier than expected. The days went by so quick in all the preparations that Sieon couldn't even sew a new dress for herself.
The orders had slightly increased and the time was less considering that Jiwon's parents were celebrating their daughter's marriage on a simple yet big scale. Having only one daughter and one son, the couple wanted to invite everyone they knew on the big day.

San had also volunteered a lot in the wedding preparations and so did Wooyoung, whereas Yeosang who had gotten a job in the wood-work area, was less seen comparatively.

"How do I look?" Sieon asked as she flaunted her final look to her friend.

"Oh my! You look so pretty," Chaeyoung chimed as she placed her hands over her mouth in awe, "Your dress looks more beautiful than those who got a new one made."

Sieon had worn her mother's dress as she did not have time to make a new one and barely had a fancy dress to herself. Chaeyoung had also done light makeup on her.

"Are you sure?" She asked, not taking her words seriously.

"Do you think I'm joking?" Chaeyoung sighed, "Stop overthinking, and believe me. You look the prettiest today than I have ever seen you before."

"Alright, I believe you," she smiled, "You look really beautiful yourself. Your dress is too pretty."

"I know I look beautiful," Chaeyoung winked at Sieon.

–

Sieon breathed in the fresh air as she looked around, people enjoying and talking to others, it was almost like a festival.
She smiled looking at Jiwon and her husband who were laughing while they chatted with a relative.

She looked at her hands and observed her index finger, which was adorned by a carved ring around it.
It was her mother's ring, and from what she knew, the floral carving was done my none other than her father who gifted it to his wife on the birth of Sieon.

Her smiled widened, "Her fingers were so slim."

"Who's?" San sat beside her with a peice of bread in his hand, "And whom are you talking to."

"Nothing, just admiring my Ma's ring."

As she only had one ring on, San instantly looked at it and smiled as well, "It's really pretty."

Sieon nodded and looked up as her eyes met his, which seemed like crescents when he smiled.
"What are you doing here though?"

San shrugged, "Why are you here?"

"I came to the side because I wanted to be alone for a while."

"Aren't you tired of being alone? You're alone at home and even at the shop it's just Chaeyoung," San said as he finished his bread.

"It's been like this for a long time, and maybe it'll be like this in the future too… Why get used to many people being around me?" Sieon replied, her eyes fixed at her hands in her lap. She then sighed looking back at San and her expression became firm, "But it's none of your concern."

"How can you say that, when you clearly know my feelings towards you?" he shifted slightly closer, "I told you I care about you, and your future is also my concern, Sieon."

Sieon looked away, "Leave me alone, San. I like the way things are now and I don't want a change."

"Alright, if that's what you say," he stood up, "But your eyes tell a different story Sieon. I can clearly see your feelings too…they're quite the opposite of your words."

Sieon snapped her head to look up but San was already leaving, his back facing her. She shook her head not accepting anything San said and not liking the way he said it.

From the sudden confession to the candid conversion they just had,
Sieon didn't like any of it.

What do you know? Nothing!
It's so easy for you to say…for anyone to say.
Sieon groaned and left her place. She went to where the refreshments were and had some food with Jisung, who happened to be by himself there.

No matter how much time she had spent with others, or doing anything to distract her, what San said was bothering her from time to time.
Even after she was home. The next day, and the next day.

She sighed and turned in her bed uncomfortably.

It was hard to admit, but Sieon was feeling awfully uneasy because San was right.
She wanted a change.
She was dying for a change.

Sieon threw her pillow across the room angrily as tears blurred her vision. She held her face against her hands.

The tears weren't falling because Sieon was upset. It was because the truth was painful to her.

During the wedding she was constantly thinking about her own future. Her own well-being. She wanted someone to come find her, ask her where she went or notice that she disappeared for a while. But that didn't happen. No one cared.

She was all alone and was scared that she always will be.

Creating a strong, fierce and independent image of herself was necessary when she decided to live alone in the village and not with her family in the city. But that decision, and her image, came with a lot of consequences as well. With people being against her decision, judgmental faces, taunts and much more.

A ball of suffocation was up her throat as she stood up and moved towards her door. The sudden nausea going away when she finally opened it and breathed in the fresh air.

It was a Bell Night.

Sieon was still not used to the darkness, or sleep. But she was getting used to distracting herself in the dark so that she wouldn't be as scared as she usually would.

After her breathing became normal, she wiped her wet cheeks and slipped on her slippers. Without realizing, she had closed the door behind her and started walking forward, leaving her warm home behind.

Unconsciously, her feet brought her towards the temple once again…