#i want to log off forever sometimes and throw my phone in the ocean | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

littletonoemotion · 5 years

Text

이 태민: The Moonwalker Pt. 3

Part 3 has arrived, though it was terribly late! I’m fairly certain that this will be the last part, unless people request otherwise. Thanks for showing this little fic a lot of love! It feels really nice whenever I log into Tumblr and there’s a new like or something. ^^ Remember! If there’s anything you want to see from me, I always have inspiration for writing and I’m always willing to take requests.

If you’re a little shy or nervous; literally don’t be. I’m multi-fandom trash, so I’ll write for pretty much every group and in pretty much every genera, style or whatever the heck you’re into. XD Enjoy!

“So, how many dates is this?” Taemin asked, sipping his espresso with a content smile, almost a little smug.

Je Kyo rolled her eyes. “Zero. A full zero dates.”

“You’re so mean!” he whined, setting down his glass. “We’ve been hanging out like this for months!”

She shrugged. “Yup. We’ve been getting up at unholy hours to hang out just because you’re afraid of the dark.”

“I’m not afraid of the dark! I told you: it’s a condition. Like, a serious one. You wouldn’t want to see me like that.”

She gave him a look. “Sure thing, dude. Whatever you say.”

He huffed, “You’re so difficult. But back to my original point! These are clearly dates!”

She shoved him playfully across the table. “In your dreams, pretty boy!” She settled back into her chair, a comfortable booth seat in a cozy cafe. She looked out of the window, admiring how the city looked with the sun barely up. “It’s pretty, yeah?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I am pretty nice.” She shot him a glare, making him laugh. “I’m kidding! Of course, I’m kidding!” He took a deep breath, composing himself. “Yes, it’s a very pretty view.”

She smirked. Now was her chance! After all the teasing from the strange man that had walked into her flower shop a few months ago, she could finally get back at him. “Not as pretty as you,” she said, flashing him a winning smile. She topped it off with a wink.

He froze for a moment. There were no witty comments, no rolling of the eyes, no awkward chuckles. Just him, sitting across from her, his cheeks dusted pink and his eyes wide.

Je Kyo snorted, narrowly avoiding hitting her latte when she collapsed in laughter. “Your face!” she laughed. She didn’t even care about people staring at her at this point. She was having too much fun. “That was priceless!” She pulled out her phone, snapping a quick picture.

He pouted for a full minute before he finally spoke again. A smile made its way onto his full lips. “I win,” he said.

“What?” she asked, sliding her phone back into her coat pocket.

He looked proud of himself. “I win!” he repeated. “This proves your undying love for me! You even took a picture of me, which, let’s be honest, you’re gonna be using as your lock-screen for a long time.”

She dipped her fingers in a glass of ice water, flicking the leftover droplets at him. “You ever heard of ‘teasing’ or ‘joking’, you dork? That’s what that was—not a love confession! I swear, you’re so socially ignorant sometimes.”

A few drops fell from his chin. “Sure,” he chuckled. He grabbed a napkin, wiping his face. “Believe me, you’ll fall for me one day—Je Kyo? Are you okay?”

She quickly shook her head, trying to draw herself out of her own all-consuming thoughts. “Yeah, I’m good,” she said quickly. “Just staring at something.”

That, in itself, wasn’t a lie. She just hadn’t told him what it had been.

She must’ve been seeing things, right? Things like that didn’t happen to normal people. A certain ethereal glow to the eyes, a glitter like sparkles or moon-dust.

Though...

She’d thought for months now that Lee Taemin was far less than normal.

The memory played in her head over and over again, like a song on repeat. So that’s when she’d fallen for him, huh?

It wasn’t often that there were times like this in her life. Quiet moments that she could enjoy all to herself and roll her eyes at the cliche feeling of the whole thing. She always felt a sense of irony when she had a moment of peace, considering how rare it was.

Though, her peace was different from most people’s. What’s new?

When people think of calm, they think of sunsets and ocean waves, mountain tops and whispered ‘I love you’s, raindrops on windowpanes.

For her, ‘calm’ was a glass of tea, bought on sale at the convenience store. It was late nights, warm days with cold breezes, and her son fast asleep in their home, unaware of how cruel the world could be.

She wanted to keep him safe from that as long as possible, or at least give him hope that things got better. But how could she do that when she barely believed it herself?

Je Kyo stirred a spoonful of honey into her mug. The twilight looked rather lovely shining in through the slightly cracked window at the back of her apartment.

Despite how pretty the scene was, Je Kyo had come to dread twilight for one reason and one reason only. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her beating heart and racing thoughts. She just wished her anxious feelings would go away.

But somehow, even though there were butterflies of unfounded nervousness in her stomach, she’d never felt calmer. In a way, she felt accepting of the strange feeling.

She glanced back at Dongin, sleeping soundly on the rock-hard, dreadfully uncomfortable couch they called their own. A small smile graced her chapped lips.

“You goof,” she mumbled even though he couldn’t hear her, lost too deep in the land of dreams. She walked over to him, wiping the corner of his mouth with her sleeve. “Drooling all over the place... Nasty,” she chuckled.

There was a knock on the door, gentle and held with an easy rhythm. She opened the door without checking through the peep-hole; she really didn’t need to. “Tea’s in the kitchen,” she said.

“Not even a ‘hello’?” Ah-In chuckled.

Je Kyo shut the door behind her, careful to be quiet with it. “Sorry,” she said. “I just really want to get this off my chest. Preferably as fast as possible.”

Her neighbor nodded, ever-understanding. “All right, then.” They both ended up settling down on the fire escape, not wanted to wake up Dongin. “So, what’s up?”

Je Kyo took another glance at the sky, her headache worsening. She let out a heavy sigh. There was no backing out of it now, was there? “Have you noticed me acting a little strange these past few months?”

Ah-In nodded slowly. “If I’m being honest... Yes. You haven’t really been yourself, though I can tell you’ve been trying to mask it.”

She let out a bitter chuckle. “Guess it didn’t work all that well then,” she joked. She shrugged, taking a quick sip of her drink. “Well, what can I say? I tried.”

“Did you bring me here just to tell me that?”

Any trace of a smile left her face, but even then, she didn’t look sad. She didn’t look distressed, she didn’t look angry—she just looked numb. She didn’t meet her eyes, staring off into the distance, her eyes scanning over the cityscape. “Innie,” she started quietly, “I think I’m going insane.”

A breeze rushed by them, blowing their hair and buffeting their thin cardigans. Ah-In’s hoop-earrings acted as a sort of wind-chime. Je Kyo almost chuckled at the added atmosphere. What a movie-like scene, she thought.

Ah-In stared at her. “What?” It was more of a gasp than a question. Not even a gasp, just a breath, lost in the wind like a wisp of lost time or memory.

Je Kyo took another sip. “Insane,” she hummed. “You know? Crazy, mad, deranged, demented, unhinged, lunatic—you get it. I’m just not in it anymore.”

“In what?”

She thought for a moment. “Life, I guess,” she finally settled on. “For the past few months, I’ve been hearing voices and even though they freaked me out at first, now I’ve gotten used to them.” She chucked, tugging mindlessly at a strand of hair. “That’s not really normal, huh?”

She dripped a finger in her tea, stirring the liquid slowly. The subtle warmth felt nice against her skin. “The voices have gotten more and more... Enticing, you know? Like they’re calling me towards them, and honestly, I barely have the strength to tell them ‘no’ anymore.”

She looked over to her friend, a sad smile on her face. “You know, if it wasn’t for you and Dongin, I would just kill myself.” She could feel herself tearing up a little bit. She scoffed at herself, smacking her cheek a little. “Well, isn’t that rich? Throwing myself a little pity party over here.”

The whole time, Ah-In had been gazing at her with thick emotion swimming in her eyes. Je Kyo expected pity or concern, but instead, she looked proud. After the initial shock, at least. “You’re not throwing yourself a pity party,” she said. “You’re finally spilling your feelings, and that’s a blessing.”

“It’s a blessing for me to be totally screwed?”

Ah-In shrugged, a smile creeping up her cheeks. “Maybe you’re screwed, maybe you’re not—but either way, you’re not dead yet, are you?” Je Kyo stared at her. “You’re obviously holding onto something, or you would’ve jumped off this building a long time ago. I saw you almost do it when you were younger.”

Je Kyo flinched at the memory. “Not exactly something I look back on fondly...”

“But do you remember how you snapped out of it?”

She brought the mug to her lips. “I kinda blocked it out of my life completely, so no. Please, enlighten me, though.” She started chugging the rest of the drink.

“You found out you were pregnant.”

She paused, pulling away slowly. “That was the day I got the results back, wasn’t it?”

Ah-In nodded. “Exactly.” She wrapped an arm around Je Kyo’s shoulders, rubbing her arm soothingly. “Which confirms my theory. I already knew this, but you care about other people so much more than yourself.”

She scoffed. “Who do you think you’re talking about? Since when have I—?”

“Forever,” Ah-In said firmly. “I’ve never seen you be selfish.”

She shifted a little. “Oh, shush... Flatterer.”

“But despite that, I think it’s time you be a little selfish.” Je Kyo furrowed her brows at her, a question in her eyes. “I think the voices will go away if you do what’s best for you, for once. Not for Dongin, not for me, not for the future. Just for you, in this moment.

This beautiful present that you never get to spend enough time in.” She turned to look at the setting sun. “Because... Despite how shitty people can be, ‘right now’ is actually pretty beautiful.”

Je Kyo snorted.

“Why are you laughing?” Ah-In whined.

She covered her mouth, trying not to draw any attention from the people walking down below. “Y-you swore!” she said through muffled giggles.

She crossed her arms. “You think I don’t swear?”

“Not what I said.” There was a pause. “But totally what I was thinking.”

Ah-In gave her a light shove. “Je! I’m trying to help!”

She grabbed her friend’s hand. “I know.” She gave it a quick peck. “And I thank you.” She stood up, crawling back into the apartment through the window. “Can you watch Gin for a little while?”

“What?” Ah-In leaned her head in, watching Je Kyo toss on her shoes and a jacket. “Why? Where are you going?”

She opened the door, giving her friend and son one more look before stepping out. “To be selfish.”

Je Kyo sat at the bus-stop, kicking her feet back and forth childishly. The city was dark and quiet, it felt like she was the only one there. It was eerie, in a way.

The moon was full and bright in the sky, giving minimal light to the dark streets. It was moments like these that made Je Kyo wish that the neighborhood council weren’t so lazy with their plans for streetlights. Yet... She wasn’t afraid.

She was prepared for anything that was to come.

“Why’d you ask to meet here?” A familiar voice came. It was gentle and smooth and completely unmistakable. It was one she had, unintentionally, become quite attached to. “I told you that nighttime was a bit of a no-no for me.”

She turned around. There was Lee Taemin, standing there with his hood up, hands in his pockets and full-length pants on. That basically confirmed her theory. “I asked you to meet with me because I figured it out.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “Figured what out?”

“You.” She stood up, walking closer to him. “I figured you out.”

He backed up a few steps. “What’re you—?”

She tugged his hood off and pushed him into a patch of moonlight. Her breath almost got taken away. “I knew it,” she whispered. “You’re a moonwalker, aren’t you?” It was more of a statement than a question.

In the moonlight, Lee Taemin barely looked human anymore. His eyes shone with a sort of glowing opalescence, he looked almost transparent and his hair dripped with light, literally dripping onto his shoulders and leaving a trail in its wake.

He was shocked at first, but his face quickly relaxed. “So you figured it out, huh?”

She nodded. “Yeah.” She took in a shaky breath, putting her hands in her pockets. “I noticed.”

“You don’t seem shocked.”

She shrugged. “I’m more shaken than I seem, I promise.” She breath came out in thick plumes in front of her. Why did tonight have to be so cold? It didn’t help make her any braver. “I just can’t believe a moonwalker’s really here. Like, that they really exist.”

He shuffled. “Are you disappointed?”

She thought for a moment. “A little, yeah.” He looked at her, eyes wide. “I’ve been lying to you. Not for long. Only for about a month.”

“...About what?” he asked.

She sighed. “I’m seriously in love with you. But now, I’m just disappointed because I’m realizing that none of it was real. You’re just trying to take me away from my son.”

He shook his head. “No! That’s not what I—!”

“You only got close to me so you could feed on my loneliness, put voices in my head and eventually steal me away... You’ve been lying to me way longer than I have to you.” She hadn’t even noticed her tears that were dripping against the cracking pavement.

She was more emotional about this than she’d expected.

He took a step forward. “Je Kyo, I—”

She cut him off, “I’m just sad because my on-going theory about humanity is being proven correct once again.” She laughed bitterly. “People suck. Big time.” She sniffled and wiped her eyes. “Well, guess what?” She met his eyes, determination burning in her own. “I’m not going to let you take me away.”

He sighed. He took a few more ginger steps forward. “I’m not... Going to take you away. Where did you hear that rubbish?”

She took a step back for every step he took forward. “All the stories!” she snapped. “There’s never been a good story about you people! It’s all freakin’ gloom and doom!”

He kept advancing on her. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to believe everything you read?”

She balled her fists. “My parents didn’t stick around long enough to teach me that particular lesson, no.”

“I’m not going to take you away from Dongin. From your life.”

There was an anxiousness growing in her stomach that only grew when her back bumped against a wall. They were inches apart. Not even inches. Mere centimeters. The strength left her. She couldn’t feel angry anymore. Just there. “...Then what’re you going to do?”

His hand trailed slowly up her arm, giving her goosebumps and leaving his glow in a path leading upwards, the shape of his slender fingers. “Make you less lonely. That’s what it says in the stories, right? Do those damn stories ever specify how?”

She felt stiff. She wanted to run, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. Maybe she didn’t even want to. “No, I supposed they don’t,” she muttered.

“We do it by giving you lonely humans what you’re lacking.” He paused. “Love.”

She frowned. “But it’s not real. If it’s not real, I don’t want it.”

He shook his head. His eyes looked somewhat pleading. “No, no, no—it’s so real, I promise! For most moonwalkers, yes, it’s done for the purpose of their existence, but you and me... We’re something special.”

She looked away from him. “How am I supposed to trust you? Believe that this isn’t just because of your flippin’ otherworldly purpose?”

He thought in silence for a moment. “Because this is how I feel right now.” He brought his hand to her cheek.

She flinched, but immediately relaxed against his palm. She didn’t know what she was expecting, really. She had thought that the glowing essence he possessed would feel somewhat cold, like the moon looked. “It’s very... Warm,” she said quietly.

He nodded, trying to smile a little. “Very warm. Because I’m nervous.”

She met his piercing gaze. “Nervous?” she echoed. “Why?”

“Because of you,” he chuckled. “I feel like a child around you... I get so fluttery and all over the place, all I can do is tease you some days. All because I don’t know how to deal with myself.” He rolled his eyes at himself. “Some divine being I am.”

He examined her face. So close to his. So tempting. “You know...” he whispered. “I’m sure if I kissed you right now, my knees would buckle.”

Her cheeks felt hot. She didn’t know if it was because of his hand against her cheek or something else, but all she could do was shake her head. “Don’t lie to me, please.”

“I’m not,” he said. He sounded so sincere. “When I first came into your flower shop, I was just there because of my instincts—because of what my ‘programming’, for lack of a better word, told me to do. But soon, when you took me to all those cafes and fast food places and thrift shops, I started missing your laugh when I wasn’t next to you. Your witty quips, your casual and hardworking nature, your dedication, and your smile.”

She shifted her weight. “That’s... Specific.”

He found himself leaning closer. “Do I need to list more? I have thousands.”

“No, that’s... That’s quite enough.”

His lips brushed against hers, making both of them shiver. “May I?” His voice was barely above a whisper. “The anticipation is killing me.”

With this one answer, she could make the decision for herself whether or not to be lonely anymore. She could have it all, if she wanted. Her son, her friend, her crappy job, her chill twilight hours and the guy that she’d fallen head-over-heels for.

Would that be too selfish?

Well... She came out here this cold autumn night to be selfish. Might as well go all the way. If it ended up breaking down eventually, that was fine. Even the brightest thing in the world, like the sun, sets at some point.

With a deep breath, releasing all the fears and tension and hatred she’d been holding onto for years, she whispered, “Hell, yeah.”

THE END

31 notes · View notes