The Alters. (Purinz)

Nine

-Yunjin?

The black-haired girl looked around the room; she didn't recognize it at first because the beds and furniture had been rearranged. She felt frightened and reached out to the older girl sleeping beside her to wake her up.

From the bedroom window, a cold light filtered in from outside, and she focused on it to avoid thinking about the darkness.

-Yunjin, Yunjin... -she looked at the sleeping figure next to her, recognizing her features in the dim light.

She heard a murmur, and the older girl hugged her waist in her sleep. Ssamu felt a ticklish sensation in her stomach and a bit of fear; she didn't particularly like physical contact, so she slowly moved away.

-Chaewonnie? -Yunjin asked, half-asleep, prying her eyes open to see the black-haired girl, who was trembling slightly and trying to get out of bed without being noticed-. Hey, where are you going?

Yunjin sat up to stretch and took her hand, noticing the shiver that ran through her body with the contact.

-Ssamu?

The black-haired girl nodded; her eyes looked at Yunjin with a little less fear than before.

-It's okay, I'll turn on the light, just stay here.

She got up, leaving the girl curled up close to the edge of the bed. When the room lit up, Ssamu let out a sigh of relief and stopped trembling.

Yunjin returned to the bed, taking both of Ssamu's hands, watching as she pinched her arms tightly, although it didn't seem intentional.

-You shouldn't hurt yourself like that anymore, Ssamu. No one is going to hurt you; you don't have to do it to yourself -she placed gentle touches on her little hands-. I'm your friend; I'll always be with you. There's no need to hurt yourself, okay?

Ssamu nodded; she didn't say anything, her big eyes sparkling.

-Are you scared? -Yunjin asked after seeing her calmer. Ssamu shook her head.

-Why are the beds together? -she asked, changing the subject.

-Because Chaewon and I are really good friends, and we sleep together.

-I'm your friend... Am I Chaewon?

-You're Ssamu -Yunjin corrected-. And I'm your friend too; it doesn't matter who you are.

It was normal for Alters to impersonate the host, but it no longer made sense for them to pretend, especially with Yunjin, who knew them.

The black-haired girl smiled slightly, agreeing with her.

-What are you doing awake, Ssamu?

-I... wanted to see my friend Yunjin.

-Well, here I am -she said, feeling an overwhelming sense of affection-. What do you want to do? We can play with our other friend, Bunny, or we could have some chocolate cupcakes.

Ssamu started nodding excitedly, and Yunjin couldn't help but smile.

-Let's go, little Ssamu.

She held her hands as they headed to the kitchen, leaving her seated at one of the two chairs at the small dining table. Yunjin searched through the bakery bag for the last cupcake left over from the day before.

Ssamu ate it with delight and a small smile. She was halfway through when she realized that Yunjin didn't have a cupcake, and without a second thought, she offered her what was left.

Yunjin was more than surprised by the gesture and smiled, feeling a rush of love. She shook her head.

-No, Ssamu, this is a gift for you; it's all yours.