The Sun Will Come Out (WayV)

A Touch of Rosewater

"Rosewater?" 

Her name was Chen Tungmei...

She had her nose stuck in the book. The book of Thai spells. She had a test coming up, and she needed to brush up on her skills. 

"It calls for rosewater?" Tungmei looked at the words on the page. "Alright, then," she sighed, closing the book and tucking it into her bag. She grabbed her keys and headed out the door. 

She walked out of the library and was greeted by a warm summer breeze. Tungmei walked along the sidewalk, smiling at some of the classmates she recognized. She passed by the college bookstore, food shops, and market before she finally reached the local spell shop. 

Tungmei walked out of the shop when she was done, a bag hanging from her wrist. She had gotten a lemon verbena candle, a bundle of thyme, salt, sugar, and a pack of empty glass bottles to store her potions. Right after she was outside the shop, she sighed. 

"I forgot the rosewater." Tungmei lightly hit the back of her head. "You idiot," she laughed at herself. She walked back in, purchased a bottle of rosewater, and left the shop for the second time. 

On the way back, Tungmei got a text from Meixing and Fangsu, her roommates and best friends. 

Mei: Where r u?? Fang and I are worried

Tungmei stood against a wall, out of the way from people trying to walk down the sidewalk, and typed up a quick message. 

Tung: I'm on my way right now, just had to pick up a few things

She tucked her phone back in her pocket and walked on. She was minding her own business when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Tungmei whipped around, ready to fight whoever was trying to rob her, but was surprised when she saw a kind face in front of her.

"Hello," the boy said. He had dark brown hair and big dark eyes, a kind smile on his face. 

"Oh, hi," Tungmei replied. She was a pretty awkward person, it was easy to tell. She nervously fiddled with her fingers as she asked, "Uh, is there something I can ... help you ... with?" Her voice trailed off several times. 

"Um, do you know where the spell shop is ... by any chance?" he questioned. He looked a bit lost, which told Tungmei he hadn't been to this local area before.

"Yeah, it's right down the street." Tungmei pointed down the row of buildings. The boy followed her finger and saw a white colored building with red windows. "See that building, right there? That's the magic shop." She smiled at the boy who looked relieved. 

"Oh, that's not far at all. Thank you so much," he gushed. He gave her a smile and pranced down the street. She watched him walk off with joy in each of his steps, a grin making its way to her face. 

Tungmei turned around and walked in the opposite direction, rushing back to the dorm building. She reached the building in no time, opening the door to the Pink Hall. She scurried up the stairs and opened the door to her dorm room. She stepped inside and smiled at Fangsu, who came rushing out of her bedroom. 

"Ay, Tungmei, about time," Fangsu said. She hugged Tungmei and took her bag from her, placing it on the coffee table. "What'd you get?" 

"Oh, I have a test coming up this Friday in my ancient magic class. We're gonna have some spells to perform, so I wanted to get some practice in," she answered. 

Later that day, Tungmei stayed up to work on her spells. She moved her wand around, sprinkling droplets of rosewater onto a sprig of thyme. 

"Flourish, flourish," she muttered in Thai. She tapped her wand against the wooden bowl and watched as the thyme started to glow and transform into a beautiful pink rose. Tungmei smiled. "That's enough for today." Tungmei took the bottle of rosewater and poured some of it into a small glass bottle. She twisted the cork plug into place, sealing the bottle, and placed it on a shelf dedicated to her potions. 

Tungmei picked up the rose and walked to the small kitchen. There was a vase on one of the counters, in which she put the red rose. She loved the color red. It was so vibrant and perfect for her. 

Tungmei stopped to take a look out the window before she checked out, but something caught her eye. She could see a lot of the city from her window. In the distance, she saw a building that belonged to "The Other Side." 

She shook her head, sighing, and turned to her bed. She grabbed the bottle of rosewater. In the magic community, it was said that just a touch of rosewater dribbled on your pillow could help you dream and sleep well. She sprinkled a touch of rosewater on her pillow and smile, turning the lights off and drifting off to sleep. 

The touch of rosewater changed everything for her that night.