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Dan Oh can't hold back a groan as another cloud drifts by. It wasn't like she wanted a lot, but her physician had told her dad it would be unwise to let her into the bustling crowds of the festival. Personally, she disagreed vehemently, she'd be fine!
The only problems she has would be the extreme boredom of staying home!
Her dad had looked so worried though, and Dan Oh knew he'd cave if she asked him enough but it felt wrong to misuse his soft spot for her. He'd have let her go if she was healthy, or if she just didn't have a horrible track record of falling ill while unsupervised and out of the house.
It wasn't her fault that Kyung had a tendency to leave early! Or that she just so happened to get sick an awful lot of the times she was left alone at events like these!
The physician said the bouts were likely triggered by stress, alongside her overall weak health, but this time wouldn't be like that! Probably.
If she could convince Kyung to go with her, her dad would be more comfortable saying yes. They were engaged, after all, and she'd just have to promise to return home immediately if Kyung left.
She'd have to send him a letter, she decided. If she sent their fastest messenger, he should be able to arrive by evening, giving them more than enough time to enjoy the festivities for the remainder of the night.
It would be the first time that she's been out alone with Kyung for quite a while. He was busy, preparing for more responsibility in the family his father had said. That and he was a bit of a cold person in general, not the most openly affectionate, but that was alright with her.
Even if her fiance wasn't so great at sharing his feelings with her, she would could for him regardless.
She takes care to pen the letter with her best calligraphy, making sure each line is neat and tidy before deeming her latest attempt ready for sending.
The festival is so lively already!
Dan Oh knows that the main attraction is likely the fireworks, a sight that's only become more common in the past few years. Still, they can only be seen at the biggest events, thrown by either the palace or extremely wealthy nobles. Even then, they're rarely done.
The ones at this festival had been a shared effort between Dan Oh's dad and many of the other well-known merchants hoping to draw wealthy young masters to the event. They'd put in a lot of work to get as many as they had. The show would be just beautiful!
Everybody has gone all out though, not just the bigger merchant groups. Stalls line every road, from corner to corner, with elaborate decorations and signs to pull people in. It's a little overwhelming how good it smells! There's a bunch of sweet scents, savory too, and then a few that Dan Oh wouldn't know how to describe.
She eyes Kyung from the corner of her gaze and can't hold back a smile. It’s exhilarating, getting to walk with him like this, like a real date. She can’t help the giddiness, not when he turns to look at her, to make sure she hasn’t fallen behind. His face is set in his usual stony facade, but he turned and that must mean something.
He’s busier these days, being trusted to slowly take over more of his father’s business. Dan Oh has heard from her dad that Kyung’s been showing up at more events, starting on connections that’ll be crucial for him in the future.
It's nice, getting to have a moment together. It reminds her of their childhood, being pushed to take walks through the garden or play games in her bedroom while their fathers talked business. Just the two of them, and for Haru, following shortly behind them.
He's the son of one of Kyung’s family's partners, serving as something of an attendant to Kyung. She's seen him many times, whenever she would try and visit her fiance at work. Haru would spend time with her while Kyung was busy.
A delicious smell wafts towards her nose, something lush and savory and amazing , and Dan Oh craves it immediately. She grabs the sleeve of Kyung's hanbok, smiling when his eyes flick to the side to look at her.
“Kyung, let's go try it!” She says, pointing at a stall selling chicken skewers. There's the small beginnings of a line, but if they hurry it shouldn't be too long of a wait.
He scoffs, rolling his eyes while he gently elbows his way out of her grip. “I'm not hungry.”
They look so good… surely Dan Oh could get one before Kyung had walked too far away. She'd be able to find him afterwards, he'd probably wait for her. Maybe.
It can't be more than fifteen seconds of her longing contemplation, but when she turns, Kyung is gone.
He's a fast walker, she notes with a small amount of distress, searching through the crowd to try and find the deep blue of his hanbok. Luckily it's still early and not many people have shown up yet, so he's fairly visible through the gaps of people. She has to jog to catch up and she can't help but miss the skewers.
Her stomach is grumbling, unhappy with the meager breakfast she'd had to leave room for plenty of festival food. There were so many delicious options, if Kyung would only stop for a minute!
As it is, she can feel her chest ache. She's not out of breath per say, but her lungs ache and her heartbeat feels like a drum in her chest, aggressive and reverberating throughout her entire body. She can hear it, almost. Her physician would probably tell her to take a break about now, get a drink, a snack, and then rest, but Kyung is still moving and she doesn't want to slow him down.
All of a sudden, the poor smell she'd had to leave behind shows up again. She sighs happily, wishing more than faintly that Kyung would stop and get a skewer with her.
“Dan Oh!”
She turns, coming startlingly close to smearing skewer on her face.
Behind the frankly delectable looking skewer, Haru is grinning, beaming bright enough to be the sun.
“For you.”
She hesitates, glancing to the side to watch Kyung continue off without her. There's a moment where she can't tear her eyes from him, where it feels like she is second in her own body. It's off-putting, but that's unimportant compared to the bite of hunger eating away at her stomach. The sight of her skewer sends a rush of joy through her when she turns back to Haru.
Dan Oh takes the skewer from his hand, warmth dancing where their fingers brush. His grin is contagious, and she finds herself smiling back at him widely.
“Haru!” She swats at his shoulder, “Ah, you're too nice!”
The first bite she takes practically melts in her mouth, the chicken cooled to perfect temperature during Haru’s walk back.
There's a heat biting at her tongue, the first hit of the spice that costs the outside in a glorious red.
Haru’s hands are empty of any other skewers, she notices once the grumbling of her stomach is subdued. “Did you only get one for me?”
She sighs, shaking her bitten skewer in front of Haru. “This really is too good for you to not try it. Here, try mine.”
It's held out in between them, he looks at her for a moment in contemplation then leans down and bites the skewer still held in her hand.
His face lights up again when he looks at her, cheeks red from the spice but so openly happy.
“You can't do things like that, Haru! You'll make a girl's heart flutter!” She swats at his shoulder again, her face heating up. It's from the remnants of spice obviously, that's it!
He just smiles down at her still, lacking in remorse completely.
Dan Oh, because of her extremely generous nature, decides to split their single skewer. It wouldn't be fair for Haru to only get one bite when he went out of his way to get it for her.
Eventually they do start walking again, Kyung far gone into the distance. There is a part of Dan Oh that knows she should be upset, but there is something far stronger overpowering it. Warm, wholesome, easy contentment.
Being with Haru doesn't hurt. It doesn't leave her lungs aching with strain, her heart desolate and abandoned.
When she's with him, she's happy.
So it's easy to go through the festival, stopping at far too many dessert stalls, trying as many of the foods as they can stomach. They play the games, games that Dan Oh knows are rigged, Haru wins anyway.
The prize is a tassel. A little bundle of red flowers as the main ornament with red silk trailing down beneath. It isn't fitting to be a stall prize, too luxurious to not have been purchased from a proper craftsman.
Even so, Dan Oh has received far better gifts, far more expensive and higher quality, but when Haru hands this to her, she can't fathom not treasuring it. It feels more precious than the finest of gems in her home, than her entire fortune.
She tucks it safely into her pouch, vowing to herself that she'll wear it the next time she meets him.
They go through stall after stall, trying so many foods that Dan Oh feels ready to burst. Her cheeks ache with the force of her constant grin and it's only as the sun begins to set that she remembers the fireworks.
And, of course, that she's meant to watch them with Kyung. Not Haru.
All of a sudden, her joy feels distant. It doesn't feel right, leaving Haru to find Kyung, after all he's done for her.
For some reason, though, she can't comprehend not looking for Kyung. It's against her will, but she turns to Haru and begins to wave.
“I'm gonna go find Kyung! See you later!”
Dan Oh can't stop herself. It's like her body is moving without her say.
Her legs guide her without reason, as if they know which direction she has to go. If they do, they haven't let her know!
Everything is fine, a bit squished but fine, until the crowd swarms in on her. She's pressed between backs, elbows snapping into her stomach as she attempts to push through.
Her chest begins to ache, and her hand clutches at it desperately. The airflow feels blocked. She's trying as hard as she can, but she can never catch a full breath.
A hand wraps around her wrist, yanking her harshly out of the crowd where she rams painfully into a person.
She looks up, tears in her eyes, and finds Kyung’s face staring down at her.
“What were you thinking!” He exclaims, and Dan Oh feels shame curdling within her at the same time as the rush of terrified relief. “Just stay by my side from now on!”
He starts walking, pulling her along by her wrist until her brain finally kicks in and she starts moving by herself.
“You found me.” She whispers, free hand wiping roughly at her eyes. He stops, scoffing before looking down at her.
“Of course I found you.”
There's a brief moment where the sun seems to dim around them, her body feeling lighter than ever, and then outrage fills her. Why was she crying? She wasn't sad, what was up with those tears!
What had happened with the crowd? They'd just swarmed her for no reason! This was completely absurd!
And then, oh then! Kyung had some attitude! He was the one who had walked off and he had the audacity to complain about her leaving him! He’d been the one to leave!
Despite everything, there was still this stupid little flutter in her stomach when he spoke. For some inexplicable reason, Dan Oh was happy even with how rude he was.
Goodness! How had she kept liking him for so many years when he acted like this?
Haru would never.
Her steps falter, picking back up before Kyung can give her a dirty look. That's… that's a completely normal thought to have about a friend.
Yeah, Haru is her friend! She's allowed to notice his positive traits! It just so happens that he's kind and thoughtful and exceptionally handsome.
All perfectly normal observations.
Gosh, the weather is deceptively hot out! Dan Oh is feeling a bit warm!
She fans her face frantically, shivering when a particularly cold breeze comes by. Haha– that's so odd!
…
They're getting a lot closer to the forest. Almost too close.
The sounds of the festival are much quieter around the outskirts, only stray wanderers and the occasional homeowner populating the area.
Dan Oh was never allowed to explore this area as a child. Her dad had been paranoid that everything possible would go wrong. He was convinced she’d somehow manage to get lost, kidnapped, and then fall ill all at the same time.
Admittedly, knowing her luck, it wasn't outside the realm of possibilities, so she hadn’t disobeyed.
“Kyung? Where are we going?” Her voice comes out much meeker than she intends, her hands gripping at the sleeve of his hanbok.
An owl hoots ominously in the distance. The distance that Kyung’s path is guiding them towards. What is he thinking?
There's a gap in the trees, with a dirt trail right in the center. Dan Oh feels this eery nagging in her gut.
In what must be a prolonged bout of insanity, she says nothing more, and continues following Kyung, even as he crosses the threshold of the village and passes into the forest.
“Kyung?”
He turns around, yanking his sleeve from her grip with the move. “You’ll see in a little while, keep walking!”
The trees cast harsh shadows to the ground, drowning out what little daylight still remains. It’s like a world unto itself; leaves closing over their heads, blocking out the sky, the rustling of bushes surrounds them, the festival sounds have been completely left behind them.
A noise comes from her left, the crunch of something, a leaf, or a twig, or something, and her eyes are trained to the undergrowth. She knows that it probably isn’t anything dangerous, not this close to the village, but there’s always the chance. Wildcats aren’t uncommon to find, and she’s heard her dad’s associates tell stories about tigers nearby.
Kyung wouldn’t take her into the woods if it was dangerous, would he? It wouldn’t make any sense for him to do that. He’d be in danger too, after all, and her dad wouldn’t be gracious if she was injured.
It’s a perfectly sound argument. The goosebumps on her arms don’t go down though, nor do the trembles along her spine settle.
They go deeper and deeper, it only gets darker all the while. If Dan Oh hadn’t been fond of the entrance’s lighting, that is nothing compared to this. She can barely see Kyung, even with him being only a few short steps from her.
She would reach out again, tether herself to Kyung, but she’s already proven to be much slower than he is, and she wouldn’t want to make things harder for him. He wouldn’t like it if she held him back.
Shivers jolt through her body, following the breeze that works its way through the woods and past the boundaries of her hanbok.
The hike they’ve taken isn’t overly difficult, but the ground is uneven and Dan Oh’s outfit was certainly not made with this in mind, and she’s beginning to feel an ache in both her chest and her feet.
Kyung hasn’t slowed his pace since they entered though, and she already knows how he’d react if she asked him to wait for her. He might do it, if he’s in a good mood, but based on the rest of their day, she doubts he is. She gets the distinct feeling that this entire festival excursion was pushing her limits as it is.
Keeping up with him is harder than she would like to admit. Her legs are beginning to get sore from the hours of walking she’s already done, and Kyung’s stride is much longer than hers.
She pushes herself to move faster, to make sure that the dark blue of his hanbok can’t fade away from her vision and blend with the rest of the world, cast in the shadows of night.
The blue had been great in the morning, a far deeper and darker color than anyone else out on the streets, but it’s not so convenient now. He can barely be distinguished from their surroundings, the light of the moon just enough light to show his silhouette.
He’s slowly getting farther away, and Dan Oh doesn’t know these paths. She doesn't know how to get back out of this forest if he isn’t guiding her way.
If she loses him, she’ll be lost until morning, at the very least. Alone, in the middle of unfamiliar woods, to sleep out in the dirt and hope no animals stumbled upon her.
No one would be able to tell her dad where she was. He’d be so worried.
That can’t be allowed to happen.
So she speeds up her own pace, walks so quickly that her legs begin to burn, but Kyung is always in arm’s reach.
They cross through the woods and Dan Oh can’t focus enough on her surroundings to be scared. Every thought she has is on keeping her feet moving, one in front of the next, again and again, without any time for pause. If she stops to think, to be afraid, she’ll be left behind, and Dan Oh doesn’t know if Kyung would even notice.
She doesn’t know how far they go, couldn’t tell you how long they walk, all she knows is the bite of pain at her heels, the aching along her calves, up to her knees. It feels like her joints are banging against each other, grating away at anything between them.
It hurts, in a way Dan Oh has never had to feel before.
She’s used to the sandpaper feeling of a throat coughed raw, the deep unbearable pain of an improperly functioning heart, and the feeling of empty lungs, desperate for air that they themselves refuse.
This throbbing in her legs, the way her body seems to jolt with every shift of weight she makes, it’s new to her.
Her shoes are digging into the back of her feet in a way that feels cutting. She doesn’t know if her foot is wet with blood or if paranoia has taken over her mind.
Kyung is getting farther away again, somehow maintaining his impossible speed even as Dan Oh helplessly falls behind. She’s pushing as much as she can, but her calf twinges with a harsh spike of pain, foot missing where it was meant to step and sending her stumbling forward.
Catching herself sends violent trembles through her body, until she hits a tree to stay upright. Her legs feel seconds from caving out underneath her, shaking like an earthquake has hit the land.
Her lungs feel wrung out, for some inexplicable reason. As if the strain on her legs was enough to burden everything else with it.
When she’s caught her breath and no longer feels like a just-born fawn, Dan Oh looks up.
There is nobody ahead of her.
Kyung’s silhouette, what little of him she’d been able to see, is gone. Long since hidden from her vision.
Her head falls back against the wood behind her.
It doesn't feel like it should be so much to ask.
Dan Oh knows she’s dying. She’s known since she was a child, being told that her body was frail, prone to illnesses that would keep her bedridden for days, so she had to be more careful than everyone else.
It could take her whenever, she’s been told. Like how it took her aunt when she was only a little older than Dan Oh now, like how it took her mother, who survived long enough to bear Dan Oh and see the first few years of her life. It could take Dan Oh now, or in twenty years, and she has not a clue when it will be.
In return, it doesn’t seem so unfair to want to be loved, does it? She’s had to give up her mother, on summer days spent outdoors, on days without supervision, and she has to give up love too? How is that fair at all?
All she wants is one thing. Just one, normal thing in her life!
She wants the love match that so many girls dream of. She wants to know what it’s like to have someone look at her and not see some porcelain doll that could shatter if touched wrong.
Instead, she has this.
A fiancee who would sooner abandon her in the woods than spare her a glance, too busy taking a path to some forever unknown destination to bother with her.
She jolts back as a burst of color fills the sky through cracks in the leaves, blurred but stark against the night sky. The ache in her chest is ever-worsening, but for once she can't tell if it's physical or emotional.
It feels shameful, leaning against a tree to hold herself up, left behind by the boy who was meant to marry her. She feels inadequate and stupid, stupid for ever hoping that a boy like Kyung would love a girl with a death sentence looming above her head.
She'd lived her life in a box, watching the world go by from her bedroom, being told she was too sickly to do anything else. This was the first festival her dad had ever let her attend, and she'd ruined the night all because of her stupid health!
It’s no wonder he doesn't like her.
The tears leave cold trails down her cheeks, unwarmed by the distant sparks in the sky. It's all going up in flames– cold, bitter flames that frame the love she'd craved for so long. It's been so long, pining after somebody who's never cared - what was it all for?
She's going to die before ever knowing what it's like to be loved by somebody who isn't her dad. How embarrassing is that? She's spent her entire life chasing after the affections of a boy who just doesn't like her. It's not that he doesn't love her, it's that he can barely even stand to tolerate her.
He's marrying her for her dad's business. For the connections and doors that'll be opened to him, as her husband. She's always known it. He'll settle for the dying girl because at least the payoff will be good.
And it's infuriating, because what can she do? She could break off the engagement, put herself and her dad in a position of shame, and hope that someone would be kind enough to ignore her failed betrothal. She could hope that someone else would could along, that maybe they’d love her.
But she’d known Kyung for years. If he cannot love her, having seen all that she is, then who can?
It should've been a beautiful night, walking through the festival, eating the stall foods together, and eventually sitting underneath the night sky, watching firework sparks pop between the stars.
Now, she's alone in the middle of a forest with no way to get home, animals rustling the bushes behind her and only shreds of light to guide her back to the path.
Dan Oh is scared and it hurts–
Oh–
Her vision goes speckled, black dots covering her eyes until all she can see is a blur. She can feel her body sway, and she's as helpless to stop it as a leaf in the breeze. There's a horrifying weightlessness through her body; she's gone before she has the chance to see herself fall.
She jolts as a bang echoes sharply through the air. And- oh! Her forehead hits something, well, not quite hard actually, but definitely not soft. There's an odd noise, but it doesn't really hurt– it's pleasantly warm– so Dan Oh is content to let her head drop slowly back to the ground and push closer to the heat.
“Eun Dan Oh,” She hears whispered above her. Something cards through her hair, brushing a stray strand out of her face.
Her dad hasn't woken her like this for years. He's such a sap–
Dan Oh shouldn't be at home.
She never made it back, so where..?
The thing she's buried her face in pushes against her, it's moving continuously back and forth. Oh my goodness– there's fabric touching her cheek, the thing is moving back and forth– Dan Oh is snuggled into a person.
“Dan Oh,” The person says, and his voice feels like a spring breeze, warm and gentle on her skin. Loathe as she is to leave the radiating heat, she leans away from what must be this man's stomach. Her dad would have a heart attack if he heard about her lack of propriety. The thought is enough to have her fully push herself up to a seated position.
When she looks at her living pillow, lit only by the light of the night sky, she sees Haru smiling down at her. The grin that takes over her face is unconscious, her delighted call of his name is not.
“Haru! Hi!”
“Hi.” He replies, with the sweetest little wave. His face glows red as sparks scatter above them, letting her see the soft, happy crease at the corner of his eyes. It makes her stomach bubble.
Then she remembers.
Remembers being lost in the woods, paths long behind her and impossible to find again. Her body had hurt, red hot spikes of pain throughout her lower body. It had been so dark, the trees drowning out all but the smallest scraps of light, leaving her blind and afraid and alone .
But here he is.
“How did you find me?” She asks. Haru doesn't respond, just shrugs and keeps looking at her with that smile that sets her nerves at ease.
He pushes himself to his feet, leaning against a tree and looking around. Whatever he sees must be alright, because he waits for her to stand and then he starts walking.
Dan Oh doesn't see any path, she doesn't see much of anything, really. It's still quite dark.
Something rustles nearby. Another noise comes from behind them.
The forest should be relatively safe, right? There couldn’t be any tigers in the area, that’d be absurd!
An ominous sound has her jolting, grabbing onto the nearest thing she can. There are shivers going down her spine, the cold of night mixed with mild terror.
Except her front isn't cold. Dan Oh feels a sudden spark of deja vu.
When she looks up, Haru is staring down at her, a fond upturn to his lips. She lets go of the fabric of his sleeve, giving his arm a little pat as she moves back.
He lets out a breath of laughter, just for a second, then he's intertwining their fingers to pull her gently along with him. His hand is so warm, smooth skin with only the hints of calluses.
Following him is easy, his steps deliberately short so she won't fall behind.
The pitch black of the forest is still scary, but Dan Oh feels more giddy than afraid.
Haru walks without hesitation, as if he fully knows where they are every step of the way. There's only one place where he pauses, choosing to guide them through a patch of leaves.
She sputters as branches push back against her arms, swatting her in the face. They're lifted out of her face and she beams at Haru’s chest, his hand – the one not still holding hers – reaching over her to hold the branches.
He's just so considerate!
There is a nagging in her gut, an intrinsic urge that says this should be Kyung, but Dan Oh shoves that down. Somewhere down with the mystery of why her legs have stopped hurting, why her body feels as energetic as it had when she first woke up that morning. It’s not relevant anymore.
Dan Oh regrets ever following Kyung into this stupid forest. She's been walking for basically forever, her feet hurt, and it's freezing out!
“Where are we going?”
“Just a little farther.” He reassures her.
“It's cold! And my feet hurt.” Dan Oh is aware she's being petulant, but it's true! There are shivers going down her body, and the bottoms of her feet are aching worse with every step she takes.
Haru pauses. His hand raises to the belt on his waist, untying it without a moment of hesitation. Dan Oh shrieks, hand reaching up to cover her eyes, peeking through her fingers to see his uncovered robes.
It's indecent! Or, well- borderline!
A weight sets over her shoulders, light enough that she can feel it blow with the breeze. Her hand goes cold when Haru releases it, and her eyes stay firmly shut as he leans in close.
She can feel the warmth of his breath against her face, the radiating heat of his body near hers.
“There.” He whispers, and then his hand is on her waist. It's a perfectly chaste touch, soft enough that she could almost forget it was there.
The chill that had begun to creep up her body is gone in an instant. There's such a comfortable lull that her brain stutters, caught in a daze with the heat surrounding her.
Until her feet swing out from underneath her and leave her body rapidly approaching the ground. Dan Oh is a refined merchant's daughter, so she doesn't flail, no, she uh- reaches for the nearest sturdy object.
Her arms hit something and she clings to it immediately.
The sound of Haru’s laughter vibrates through her body. Her very much not falling body.
She peeks one eye open, finding her face perfectly level with his chest. His chest, devoid of the coat meant to cover his inner robes.
The noise that leaves her is undeniably a shriek. It feels as though she's seen a ghost, or she's watching this entire scene from the third person.
That's a perfectly normal reaction, in such a case! An engaged woman is being cradled to the chest of a man, with her arms around his neck and his outer robe draped over her! All the while, the man is notably not her fiance !
Her dad would faint if he heard about this! Dan Oh feels pretty close herself!
…
She doesn't let go.
It's- her feet ache, and it was cold, and it's scary being in the woods this late at night. His chest is so warm that she feels like it's a pleasant spring day, and she doesn't want to walk anymore.
And… when Dan Oh leans her head against Haru’s chest, she can feel his heartbeat. It vibrates through her own body, the rapid beating the only sign that he's as affected as she is.
Nothing could be scary like that.
So Dan Oh doesn't let go, and she doesn't demand to be put down, despite the blow to her reputation this would undeniably be if it got out. It could ruin her engagement. Dan Oh can't bring herself to be upset by that.
There is a part of her that is unsure, that wants to cling to the familiarity of clinging to the unrequited feelings she had for Kyung, but Dan Oh knows she would regret that. Even if it means ruining her reputation or throwing away her entire wealth, she thinks it'd be worth it.
That being said, Haru is still from a merchant family. She could probably switch her dad's attention from Kyung to him, secure an engagement, and then help him build his business up.
Surely her dad would be willing to open a few doors for him if he knew how well Haru treated her.
No! Even if he wasn't a merchant, Haru would still be her choice!
Her frenzied thoughts continue until Dan Oh feels a nudge against her back. When she looks up she sees Haru staring down at her, eyes so warm and adoring that she can feel her heart rate spike.
Aish! He's bad for her health!
He nudges her again, gently tilting her forward to set her shoes against the grass.
At first she doesn't understand; the village is a ways away, the lantern light shining from somewhere to their right, but then she looks all around them.
Her breath catches in her throat.
It's a field of wild flowers. Dan Oh can't quite make out the colors, but she can see the delicate sway of flower petals in the breeze.
Some of them look nearly as tall as her, bushes as high as Haru’s shoulders, threaded with blooming flowers.
“Look up.” He whispers, soft against her ear.
She jolts, bumping against his back, her eyes going up to find his and stopping short. Her mouth falls open, a quiet gasp leaving her lips.
It’s beautiful.
The sky is patterned with millions of stars. They shine down on the Earth like a gift, or a blessing. Each one gleams, not one outdoing another.
Dan Oh could look at any one and be mesmerized, but then they come together and it’s like nothing she’s ever seen before. She could say so much, but none of it would ever be enough to describe it all.
It is worlds far beyond their own. It is a vastness of the universe that Dan Oh cannot recall ever seeing before.
It makes her feel small, in comparison. A speck of dust among the wide expanses of the night sky. Not insignificant, not inadequate, just… small. Belonging, in a way. In the same way that each and every flower in this field, every star out in space, all have a place.
Dan Oh has been raised as a merchant’s daughter. She has seen fine silks, elaborately shaped works of metal or wood, jewelry so expensive that some people could never hope to touch it, and none of it could ever raise a candle to the sight that she sees right now.
She can’t help but look back to Haru, to the soft smile on his face, the gentle glow of starlight upon his cheeks, and she feels a grin cross her face. It is giddy and helpless and it feels right.
At some point, the two of them lower to the ground. They sit in that field until the sun comes up.
Even as the stars fade away, Dan Oh cannot tear her eyes from them. Not unless it’s to rest them on the boy at her side, as he’s always been, even before she knew it.
He shines, just as bright as anything in the sky ever could.
It’s only been one night, nothing in the grand scheme of the lives they’ve lived, but you could convince Dan Oh she’s spent lifetimes with the boy at her side. She looks at him now and she doesn’t know how she’d ever missed it before.
Dan Oh had only ever wanted to be loved. She sees now she was a fool to ever think she wasn’t.