1994.

02. SCARLET THREAD

SCARLET
THREAD

                             THE NEEDLE HAD pricked her finger one too many times, but raesun ignored the dull ache as she continued to sew the dress. she smiled, dismissing the blood starting to blossom at her fingertips and the lost patches on the dress — at least it blended in on the fabric.

she imagined, for countless nights, of her wearing this dress whilst sitting on the beach, a glass of wine in hand as her lover was beside her. where she'd be laughing until tears were in her eyes, his hands on her and gracing the garment, the sun embracing them as they chase kiss after kiss; it was all a daydream, a wicked dream at that.

something she could only dream of — he was gone, and she didn't think he'd come back.

raesun stood from her wooden stool, setting down her sewing equipment and staring at the dress. her fingers played with each other, dismissing the pain, and she sighed: why couldn't things be as they used to be? where she didn't live in some boxy apartment, drowning in the cigarette smoke and despair, and searching for something to fill the blanks?

a knock disturbed her thoughts.

she frowned, eyeing the door — not many paid a visit to her since she moved, those only being the landlord or a neighbour to complain about the noise (she liked to play music loud to block her own thoughts).

the person behind the door must've got tired of waiting so knocked again, making her frown deepen and feet carry her to the door. she let her hand linger for a moment, before swinging it open.

there stood taehyung, despite her telling him to stay away. his hand was poised mid–air as if to knock again, a pink flush to his cheeks like he had ran. he cleared his throat, "hello raesun—"

she slammed the door close; his foot stopped it before it could fully shut, "i just want to talk, that's all—"

"you had the chance outside the hospital, but you were trying way too hard to make me feel stupid," she snarled, tying her hair up into a ponytail, "you're only here to try and seem like the nice guy, but you're just like everyone else."

"i'm not," he insisted, removing his foot and placing a hand on the door, "i just... well, i care about you. i know we got off on the wrong foot yet again, but i'd like to make amends."

raesun scoffed, "you barely know me. how could you possibly care?" she was prepared to shut the door on him for sure this time, not wanting to waste any more of her alone time on him for any longer.

taehyung shrugged, a certain look in his eyes as if to say he was in fact being honest, "i care because i've seen this before, raesun. i want to make sure you're alright. i want you to realise that there is someone who cares."

"oh stop pretending to be some fairy prince," she spat and narrowed her eyes, "i'm fine, okay? and i'll be even better when you leave—"

"i know where jeongguk is."

the whole world stopped spinning.

— 雨 —