The Siren's Song

Chapter 28- and staggering slightly

MI-SUN POV:

When the two return I had definitely noticed the moments of insecurity and worry seeping into the slightly calmed and relaxed state she was in, saw the confusion and hesitance on her face as she jumped to help me with the dishes- scrubbing mindlessly at them.

That was what indicated that something was going on in her mind- whenever she thought hard about something, she tended to busy herself so she could instil some activity that would give her time, that would allow her to think things through deeply.

So I didn't bother her but when I'd left the kitchen to join Habaek in the living room, bearing two cups of tea- he put aside his laptop to accept it, shooting me a grateful look.

"Where's (Y/N)?" he asks, eyes scanning around for her habitually.

It was a habit I shared with him, stemmed from our centuries together.

"Doing chores so she can think." I murmur by way of response. The words enough to describe her habit of busying herself up in chores to let her brain run its course, let her sort out her thoughts. The way she tended to be when she felt confused or puzzled about something.

He furrows his brows.

"But today went really well. She met two of her friends and she didn't freak out. It went a lot better than I'd imagined." He muses, tapping at the side of the mug distractedly.

"What?" I straighten up, listening intently as he talks about how they'd met two of the guys she'd recently met, how one of them was one he was working with.

I think over her behaviour, the way she's been busying herself after it clearly got to a point where her thoughts were becoming jumbled, where the happiness had slipped away to give way to confusion and an inner struggle.

And yet when she appears in the doorway, hands clasped around her own mug and yet as the night progresses into the early hours of the day, she seems to loosen up- join our conversation and even try to listen to Habaek ramble enthusiastically when she makes an offhand comment about how it looks slightly cool. Saw the way she shot me a hidden plea for help but I couldn't help but laugh and see how normal it was. How normal the atmosphere felt.

And yet all it seems to take is her phone to chime and she turns away, sending out a reply. As if that one chime has created a shift in her and she becomes happier as the night progresses and she makes no move to shut herself away in her room. Progress. Definite progress. Even if the progress seems new and fragile and hanging on a small string.

But it's precarious enough that when I catch sight of her returning after changing, lounging around in shorts and a camisole that I see the reds and purples on her arm, see her feet beginning to bruise and offer to clean them and apply ointment she recoils from the idea, shaking her head- a dull look in her eyes as she glances at them vacantly. Not yet willing to let it go entirely.

But it's progress. And I note that somehow meeting with them had been far better than she'd anticipated, and I realise that whether or not (Y/N) is aware of it, the friends she's making are having an impact on her- impact enough that she didn't shut herself away after meeting them, that she didn't rush away but dealt with the situation by letting it happen.

It stirs up fondness and pride in me.

But also worry when my eyes fall to her arms- just when will she stop putting herself through such pain?

JOON POV:

I dither over my phone debating whether or not to send the message when suddenly an arm appears over my shoulder and a finger easily clicks on send, my eyes balk in alarm and I turn to see a grinning Tae looking down at me.