wrong step | baekhyun

epilogue

SHE missed him.

missed the vanilla scent, missed his warm presence, missed the way he interlocked their fingers together. his lame jokes, the sincerity in his eyes when he called her 'love'. decades later, she'd probably still remember the way her hand slipped because of all the blood. the way her fingers groped for his when he fell.

her heart that had burned fiercer than any other open wounds.

months later, sunmi found herself back in her world with pamela and jungkook. time over there had froze, and resumed only when they arrived back. it was possible for them to resume their mundane lives, but sunmi knew she wouldn't. couldn't. how can one just leave so much behind? all the magic and and her past — she was certain that she wouldn't be able to move on from them. it was her choice to be involved. 

since she had graduated from college, she was then free to pursue what she wanted in life. but a normal life wasn't what she was looking for. 

so she had used overseas studying as a lie, leaving her parents behind in seoul and went travelling around the world with pamela and jungkook. it wasn't that she didn't love them enough — but ever since her memories came back, she felt more and more like an adopted daughter. to the point where facing her parents was suffocating.

thus, sunmi spent a year researching, training, looking for ways to get baekhyun back again. everyone she met told her it's an impossible feat. one that no one has ever tried before. there were nights when she had to venture deep into dark alleys to track down magical beings like herself, but even then, the results weren't ideal. it was like building her hopes high, and then have them fall all at once the next moment. 

but she wasn't ready to give up yet. not when she knew that with every passing second, baekhyun was suffering in the dark wilderness. alone. afraid. and, very possibly, injured. 

//

LEE SUNMI

"noona!"

stepping off the treadmill, i removed the white towel from my neck and wiped off any remaining sweat. i turned to see jungkook running into the gym with a sheet of paper in hand.

"i know this is probably the 95th time i've said this," he paused to catch his breath. "but i have faith in this one. a spell personalized by my dad."

taking a close look at the paper, i noted the scribbling of spells and potions on it. after having visited jungkook's dad for a few times, i had learned to recognize the various spells, except the one right at the bottom with a huge red circle around it.

"what's that?" i pointed.

"ah! that's what we've been neglecting all this while. in order to open the portal from our side, we need a physical object that connects both you and baekhyun together." jungkook gestured to the bracelet clasped snugly around my left wrist. it hadn't warmed up ever since, but i kept it on just in case. it kind of... gave me comfort too. a small, but significant replacement when baekhyun wasn't with me.

i pressed my lips together, well aware that we might get disappointed yet again. 

taking a deep breath, i looked up into jungkook's eyes. he looked as apprehensive as i was, but behind the pair of brown orbs, i could see excitement. anticipation. hope.

"let's do this, then." 

//

that afternoon, we met up with pamela to share the plan. she agreed immediately and we got to work with the elements that jungkook brought, spending close to 2 hours for the set up. the venue was ideal — a large field in a deserted town, so that no one would get hurt. as soon as we were done, i unclasped the bracelet (it took me months, but i finally learned how to control the lock using my mind) and placed it down on the patch of grass, next to a tiny black cross drawn by jungkook. since this bracelet linked us together, the portal would open at a place near baekhyun.