Viridity

"Jae-Hwa, get down here!" Her mom yelled.

Jae-Hwa looked up from her sketchbook at the clock. Almost half-past six. She returned to the incomplete drawing. A field of daffodils bloomed in what would soon be a sunset. The white and yellow petals gleamed in the orange dew of the forming twilight.

She took a final look as she closed the sketchbook—a feeling of uncertainty set in her. Something was missing in the drawing, but she couldn't pinpoint it. She knelt under the bed, prying open the loose floorboard, and remembered what her mother once yelled at her.

"Why do you need to make these silly drawings?!" she said disgustingly.

"If I find this useless stuff with you again, I'll make sure you and they never see the light of day!" Those words had been ingrained in her heart for almost a year. Nevertheless, it seemed to be the only thing she was good at that she truly loved. Jae-Hwa double-checked that every single art supply had been carefully stored in the small gap before shutting it closed.

She sighed, standing up, not wanting to look at the desk behind her. It was covered with unfinished homework, empty dishes, and a nightmare of random items. Jae-Hwa wanted to avoid that stress for as long as possible. While her room barely had enough space for the bed and the closet, her father had made sure to fit small desks in her and her brother's rooms. He believed they should be given their own spaces to study or relax.

Her mother, on the other hand, had firmly refused the idea. Arguments had always arisen from these simple disagreements. They could never seem to find anything in common. How they got married was still a mystery to her.

She glanced at the clock. Ten minutes she had passed. She quickly descended the stairs to the living room before her mom could nag her again.

The first thing she saw was the kimbap. Her jaw dropped in shock, then closed. Her mother always made her brother's favourite foods but never made anything for her. Not to mention, although Jae-Hwa herself adored kimbab, she was never allowed to eat it. Her mother would slap away her hand, saying she would gain too much weight. Her stomach rumbled at the sight, but she settled for the side dishes instead, still eyeing the kimbap.

Her mother joined them from the kitchen and sat down at the table. Her parents sat across from her and Hyuk-Jae, her twin brother.

Jae-Hwa's brother, the first boy in the family for almost three generations, had always been doted on. Despite being in multiple extracurriculars, he was always the top student in his class. Her, on the other hand? Mediocre at best. Plus, he had the looks to back it up. They looked identical, with the same dark hair and warm skin, but their eyes were their only difference. While Jae-Hwa had big, dark, round eyes, Hyuk-Jae's eyes were sharper and golden.

They didn't look very similar to their parents, but Jae-Hwa's eyes were the same as her father's, something she was thankful for. She nibbled at her food quietly, thinking to herself.

"My son, any news of being accepted yet?"

Hyuk-Jae had been studying in neuroscience for the past 4 years. Now that his final year was about to be complete, applying to medical school had been his focus. Hyuk-Jae set down his chopsticks.

"Yeah, I got accepted into the school." He said quietly.

Hyuk-Jae never spoke louder than that with our parents. He didn't like to argue and hated the idea of our parents quarrelling.

The smile on her mother's face was evident. He was always her pride; he must live up to that reputation. Jae-Hwa hated that smile. It seemed to rub in how much of a failure she must have appeared.

Her mother looked at Jae-Hwa, the smile on her face quickly turning into a scowl. "I don't need to ask anything about your studies."

Four years ago, Jae-Hwa decided she wanted to be an art major, and four years ago, her parents had the worst argument she could ever remember. They had fought about it for two months leading up to her acceptance. She remembered crying each night. Her fight with her mother that day was still ingrained in Jae-Hwa's mind, so she tried to hide all traces of her art projects. She looked at her food, losing the small appetite she barely had.

"No, Mother, I'm doing well in my studies." She spoke quietly. Her hands gripped the chopsticks tightly. Her father spoke up for the first time that night.

"How are your marks going?" He said in a soft, sweet voice. Her father had always been the opposite of their mom. If her mother was a lion, he was more like a house cat. He spoke kindly, unlike her mother's harsh way of saying that made everything seem like a scolding.

"I'm one of the top students in the art department," she said. Out of all her subjects, art was the only one she excelled in. Everything else was, at best, average.

Her mother scoffed in disbelief. She thought that Jae-Hwa would be nothing more than a mediocre art major throughout her life. Jae-Hwa getting good grades was a concept she could not easily take in.

As the dinner table slowly emptied, Jae-Hwa made her way to her safe space, putting her dishes in the sink on her way back up. As she entered the room, she sighed at the pile of work piled before her. She thought being an art major would have been smooth sailing, as it was a hobby she had a passion for, but clearly, it didn't work out in her favour. Nothing ever does. As she tidied up and began working on the pile of papers, she heard a knock on her bedroom door.

Getting up, she made her way to the door. Hyuk-Jae stood there, a plate filled with kimbap in his hands.

He whispered, "Hurry and grab this before I eat it or Mom comes to hit us both!" She smiled as she grabbed the plate and laid it on her desk. He entered the room, closed the door behind him, and lay on her bed.

She began eating the kimbap right away, relishing the delicious taste. Her brother randomly did this sometimes. He would sneak food up to her room, wait until she finished, then go back to his room. It was his way of making her feel better after our mother did something hostile or one of her favourite dishes was on the dining table yet forbidden—only for her. As Jae-Hwa scarfed down the food quickly, she glanced over to see what Hyuk-Jae was doing. He was curled under the blanket, light shining on his face from underneath. She assumed he was on his phone like usual. Like how art was an escape for her, his phone was an escape for him.

Her brother was only a few minutes younger than her, but even she doted on him. No matter how hard things would get for her, she would ensure Hyuk-Jae never had to endure the same struggles. She would gladly give up her life if that's what it took to protect him. Jae-Hwa wiped her mouth as she took the final bite and let out a sigh of joy.

He noticed that Hyuk-Jae took it as his cue to leave. He left the bed, grabbing the dishes on his way to the door. He turned around before he left.

"Ah, Jae-Hwa. I've got a trip tomorrow, so head to school without me, alright?"

She nodded as he left. Usually, they would walk to the university together, but nowadays, he seems to be getting more trips for extracurricular activities and courses. She only saw him in school in the history club they had both joined as a joke. They had always been interested in history for some reason, so they joined it for fun. It was one of her favourite extracurricular activities, so she decided to stay in it. In school, they would usually separate ways, Hyuk-Jae going to his respective groups of friends.

Turning her attention back to the pile of homework lying before her, she worked until dark. She had only finished half of it when the clock hit two in the morning. She let out an exasperated sigh. Turning off her lamp, she tranced towards the bed, collapsing in its embrace.

Jae-Hwa awoke the following day to the horrid buzzing of her phone alarm. After the first month of University, she quickly realized a regular alarm tone would not cut it anymore. She had changed it to the pestering sound to get her out of bed, and it had since worked like a charm. She could feel how stiff her muscles were as she got out of bed. She stretched on her route toward the bathroom.

Hyuk-Jae would still be sleeping in as his trip wasn't until later. She quickly got ready, fixing the tangled mess of hair on her scalp. Splashing water on her face and brushing her teeth, she sighed at seeing dark circles underneath her eyes. Applying a touch of makeup, she headed back to her room only to notice the time. She grabbed clothes off the floor, quickly changing into a simple hoodie and jeans splattered with paint from previous assignments.

As Jae-Hwa ran out the door, an unsettling feeling settled in her gut. She turned around, but nothing seemed to be there. She brushed off the empty surface and ran towards the University.

Seoul University was never far from her house; it was only a few minutes' walk away. Regardless, she would have usually taken the longer route if her brother hadn't been with her. Avoiding that gang of girls was almost a habit now, but they always seemed to find her. Nearing the gate, Jae-Hwa could see their silhouettes waiting for her. She cursed inside.

"Jae-Hwa!" One of the girls shouted. She was the group leader and a real pain in the ass. She always did her best to beat Jae-Hwa until she could barely walk.

"Chin-Sun, don't you think it's time to stop?" Jae-Hwa sighed at her. She knew it was useless, but it still hurt when Chin-Sun kicked her in her stomach. She gasped for air, clutching her stomach as her knees felt weak and she collapsed.

"No," Chin-Sun snarled, grabbing Jae-Hwa's hair. "I think I'm barely getting started."

Had the entrance been filled with people, she could have gotten away. But she had been late, and the door was almost empty except for the few people running to their classes. The bell rang through the yard.

Clicking her tongue, Chin-Sun let go of Jae-Hwa's hair. Jae-Hwa's hand was wrapped tightly in a fist, her knuckles turning white. She would have fought back. She would have beat her up twice as hard. She would have done all that if only she hadn't wanted to be expelled.

"Let's go," Chin-Sun said, looking at the two girls behind her. Jae-Hwa made eye contact with one of them. A look of indifference was on the girls face as she stared at Jae-Hwa lying in the spot she once was. Chin-Sun turned back towards Jae-Hwa, who had propped herself on the sidewall.

"I'll see you at lunch!" Chin-Sun said with a sweet tone and smile. Jae-Hwa stared back in disgust. She knew this meant she would not have a peaceful day at school. Chin-Sun's father happened to be a wealthy businessman. He often donated to the University, which meant Chin-Sun could ride her dad's coattails and get Jae-Hwa expelled while at it. She scowled as they left.

Kim Haruhi. Just making eye contact with her had Jae-Hwa's blood boiling. At a point, they had been inseparable, the best of friends. When Haruhi began getting bullied by Chin-Sun, Jae-Hwa stood up for her and ended up taking her place. Haruhi, however, joined Chin-Sun's pack and began tormenting her with the others.

Jae-Hwa stood up shakily. The pain in her abdomen had subsided enough for her to walk now as she made her way to class, and the same unsettling feeling from before settled in. Something was off today, but she couldn't shake it off the surface.

By the time she walked through the classroom door, the teacher had already begun her lesson. All the heads in the room turned towards her as she quietly stepped into class.

"Ms. Min! Always one to come to class late, aren't you!? What excuse do you have for today?!" The teacher yelled.

"Sorry, Ms." She said quietly, stepping into the class.

The girls from before giggled quietly in the back. Sadly, she shared multiple classes with them and couldn't seem to avoid them anywhere. She scuttled quickly to an empty seat and knelt, listening to the teacher's voice.

"As I said, we will have a new transfer student joining us this semester. Please welcome him kindly,"

Jae-Hwa raised her head.

He walked through the door without making a single sound, his footsteps barely audible among the whispers.

He was tall, and he walked with a sense of purpose. The silent taps of his feet against the floor sounded as delicate as his voice.

He stood next to the professor, towering over her.

"Nice to meet you all," the new boy said. "My name is Song Duan, and I'll join you for the semester."

Even the teacher stared in awe at this seemingly perfect man.

"Feel free to ask him any questions, as long as we keep them appropriate." the professor said while staring at Duan.

Hands shot up like bullets.

"How old are you?" One of the boys asked. She could see a few of them blushing as well.

"21, my birthday late," he responded curtly.

"Your name sounds foreign. Are you mixed?" One of the girls asked.

"Yes, my father is Korean, and my mother is Chinese," Duan said. His manner of speech was straightforward and indifferent.

She seemed oddly drawn to him, his manner of speech, how he walked, how he looked. It all felt so inexplicably familiar.

"What are your favourite flowers?" A girl asked. She was one of the girls majoring in plant biology.

Duan hesitated before answering.

"Daffodils," He said quietly. Jae-Hwa almost didn't catch it.

Without realizing it, she asked,

"Why did you transfer here?"

His eyes shifted in her direction. A mixture of expressions washed across his face. expressions that left her feeling unsettled.

"I came to look for someone." He barely whispered. She would have missed it if not for the rumbling of whispers after questioning his meaning.

The hairs on her neck rose, and the same unsettling feeling rewashed over her.

The questionnaire ended, and the teacher told Duan to sit. He had grabbed the empty chair next to Jae-Hwa and sat down, but she could feel his gaze on her for the whole class. She turned her face towards the front of the course, paying attention to the lecture. But regardless of her efforts, his eyes bore into her soul.

Uncomfortable, she tried to distract herself from his gaze by writing notes, but soon, the class quickly ended, and she couldn't bear it anymore. Before she could confront him, the girls were already around him. Yoon Chin-Sun, Kim Haruhi, and Chin-Sun's boyfriend lingered in the back.

"Hey, Duan!" Chin-Sun called to him in that pesky, high-pitched voice.

Duan spared her a glance but quickly turned his gaze back to Jae-Hwa. She looked away.

Chin-Sun must have caught onto the fact that Duan was looking at her as she said,

"Don't bother with her; she disappoints the whole major."

This caught Duan's attention.

"What do you mean?" He asked in his sugar-coated voice.

"She might have decent grades, but her brother is always superior. Must be sad being the disappointment to the family." Chin-Sun spoke bluntly.

Jae-Hwa stood up abruptly and walked up to Chin-Sun. Leaning onto the desk, she faced Chin-Sun directly.

"Aw, that hurts my feelings a bit, Chin-Sun… but I can't take away that title from you now, can I?" She taunted.

Everyone, including what used to be her best friend, had thought that she had an inferiority complex towards her brother. In reality, she was really and truly proud of him. She felt disappointed that, being the older one, she couldn't set an example for him, but she was glad he had set his expectations.

Haruhi glared at her. "Jae-Hwa you-"

Jae-Hwa glared right back, not backing down. After the stunt she had pulled, which absolutely destroyed Jae-Hwa's life, Haruhi had no right to act as she pleased around her.

"What, gonna find someone else to use as a sacrifice?" She said, scowling.

Haruhi's face turned beet red. Huffing, she and Chin-Sun walked away while shooting and looking back at Jae-Hwa.

Duan, quiet the entire exchange, now looked to Jae-Hwa. She glared at Duan as well, which took him aback.

"And you! Are your eyes magnets? For the love of god, stop staring before you burn a hole through my head!"

She scolded him relentlessly.

"If you have anything to say, speak up!"

Duan laughed, and Jae-Hwa glared at him.

"I found you, it seems," he said to himself.

"What?"

"Would you believe me if I said we met before?"

"Bullshit, I've never seen your face before today." Jae-Hwa retorted.

But it felt like she was lying to herself. She felt an uncanny familiarness with Duan, but she couldn't pinpoint from where. Of course, she would never mention that to him.

"Wanna have lunch with me?" Duan asked, a laugh in his voice.

"I'd rather not, thanks."

"I don't know where the cafeteria is though."

"Let's pray you get lucky." She said with a smile. Duan's grin disappeared.

As she walked away, she could hear him shout,

"Hey, that's mean!"

Jae-Hwa made her way towards the library. When you want peace, what better place than the library? It was lunch, so the only sounds were seniors taking a quick nap, first-year students cramming for tests, and the occasional couple. She had a 2-hour break between her lectures and was physically and mentally exhausted, desperate for a nap.

As she collapsed onto a beanbag, she tried remembering where she had felt she saw Duan. As her eyes fluttered closed, her breathing slowed.

That's when the dream began.