Arcus // ATEEZ ✔

20: crafting a faraway dream

"I know what I want to write now."

Jinju addresses Serim as soon as the latter slides open the door to her room, causing her to almost drop the food containers she's holding from both surprise and relief. She gets startled because Jinju is finally the first to greet her, when it has been the other way round for almost a few weeks now. Her friend rushes to her bed side, practically dumping the containers onto the table before taking Jinju's hands in hers.

"Jinju... oh my gosh, do you know how happy I am to hear you talking to me first? It has been so long... ah, I think I'm getting tears now. Tell me, so I can start drawing; I can take out my pencils and sketchpad right at this moment."

She smiles, looking over at her untouched notebook on the bedside table. She reaches out for it, opening it to the first page and pushing out the tip of her pen. "This will probably sound weird to you, but I want to write a story about another world with the people I know. The people that we know."

She takes a moment to digest what she's saying. "Ah, so you'll create characters based on the people around you, like... me?"

"Definitely you and Seonghwa... the nurses, the doctors, the twins, the pianist..." she trails off.

"Hold up," Serim puts up a palm forward before pulling it back. "Pianist? Who is this pianist whom I've never heard of? A woman? A man?"

"A man."

"Handsome?"

"Gorgeous. With pink hair."

"And how did you meet him?"

"He plays the piano here, sometimes." After a thought, she adds, "He's the reason I want to write again."

"Oh dear," Serim gasps. "My best friend has finally found someone she likes, fallen in love with?"

Jinju smiles shyly before looking down at her lap. "Well, he's pretty cute. Nice too, but I didn't actually talk to him for long. Sometimes I hide myself just to hear him play." Her face slightly falls, "I don't think he'll like..." she gestures to herself, "this, though."

"Oh come on," Serim groans. "Anyone who doesn't think you're pretty needs to get their eyes checked. You're flawless, a princ- nope, make that a queen. You slay even without hair, imagine the power you hold if you have them."

"Stop, you're making me blush," she shrieks before slapping both hands to her cheeks. She taps her cheeks a few times before picking up the pen again. "Anyway, back to the story that I wanted to write. I wanted it to be a world where everything is different than what we know. But still, I'd want familiar faces and names in the story."

"Ah, so basically you're writing yourself an alternate reality. Oooh, this would be really fun to craft!"

"Dreaming is the only thing that never goes wrong for me," she laments. "Because reality is as shitty as it is, although I'm grateful for the people I've met. You, especially of course; you're the only family I know. How shameless of me to let you pay for my treatments-"

"Jinju," she interjects. "It's my decision to pay for your treatments, and you know what? You deserve to be happy, and you deserve to get all the good things in this world." She thinks for a moment, "This world hasn't been so nice to you, but I'd want nothing but you deserving the best in another, fuck it even if it's only a story you're dreaming about. So, genre?"

She appears excited, already taking out her own sketchpad and drawing pencils. Her drawing equipment have been stuck in the cupboard in the ward for who-knows-how-long, simply waiting for Jinju to say that she can start drawing. She's trying to change the subject although she can feel the tears starting to sting her eyes.