Title: Cipher
Author: RichelleBrinkley
Word Count: 1,404
Rating: T
AN: This was supposed to be the next chapter of Asunder, but it got too long, so...
Warnings: Possible squick and suicide.
Disclaimer: I don't own Faeries' Landing, it is the property of You Hyun.
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She calls him one day, asks him to meet up with her at the park. Against his better judgement, Ryang agrees.
Yuri is perched precariously on the highest branch of the big oak tree, legs crossed at the ankles and so far up it looks as though she is one with the afternoon sky. Her dress flutters gently in the cool autumn breeze, and her hair swirls, a golden halo around her head. She looks angelic; Ryang knows better, however.
Yuri sees him and waves, but does not make to come down.
Instead, she beckons to him.
"Come, Ryang," she says, and pats the spot on the branch next to her. "There is much we have to discuss."
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The view from the tree is beautiful.
Unlike Yuri's words, which are acerbic.
"I asked you here because I have a proposition for you."
Ryang sighs exasperatedly. "You know I won't do anything that will bring harm to Fanta or Yusin."
Yuri sneers. "This hasn't anything to do with your pathetic, twisted little love triangle."
"Then what is it?" Ryang asks curiously.
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Honestly, Ryang has to admit that he knew where this was headed the second he saw her name light up on the screen of his phone.
"You need to stop calling me," he mumbles as sharp nails rake none-too-gently at his back, "We can't keep doing this. You do know Fanta's going to find out and kill you, right?"
Yuri hums distractedly, her teeth finding the column of his throat. Ryang's breath catches as she bites down.
"Then why do we always end up doing this?" she ponders.
He doesn't reply.
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It's not as though he goes seeking Yuri out. No, she is always the one calling him. But Ryang goes to her, every single time—like a lovesick puppy she has on call.
Fanta grows increasingly suspicious as his disappearances become ever more frequent.
When he is going out every second night to 'hang with Mungyeong', Fanta finally confronts him.
"I know he's your best friend, but you've never felt the need to see him this frequently, Young Master."
Ryang laughs a little nervously and bends down to tie his shoelace, desperately running through excuses in his mind. From his pocket his phone beeps, and Fanta's eyes narrow.
"Who are you really sneaking out to see, Young Master?"
"Fanta—" he protests, but the faerie has a steely look in her eyes, and before he knows it, she has managed to wrestle his phone from him.
"I knew it! Oh, Ryang, why must you do this to yourself?" The pity in her voice makes him hang his head in shame. Fanta sits beside him on the cool marble staircase. She pats him gently on the shoulder.
"It's OK, Ryang," she sighs. "After all, we all have those people who we can't help but fall victim to."
He doesn't see it, but her gaze lingers sadly upon his bowed head.
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12:03am
Where are you?
12:09am
Ryang?
12:17am
You know I don't like to be kept waiting.
12:36am
Has the faerie Fanta finally gotten to you?
12:45am
Ryang, if you don't come over right now, you know there will be consequences.
1:08am
Fine. You know what I'm capable of. Just you wait, darling.
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"Just throw the phone out, Ryang," Fanta begs for the thousandth time.
"No," Ryang insists, taking one last look at the screen before stuffing the device back into his pocket. "I need to know if Yuri suddenly decides to do something stupid. Like kidnap someone and hold them hostage in exchange for me. You know she could."
Fanta chews her lip anxiously. "I know that. But you can't keep reading every nasty text message she sends you, Young Master. It's making you angry. I can tell."
His phone beeps.
4:17pm
You're weak for bending to her will, Ryang. You know she doesn't love you like I do.
Ryang growls and stomps out of the kitchen.
Slamming his bedroom door, he flops face-down on his bed, the phone still clutched in his hand.
It beeps yet again.
4:19pm
Come back to me. You know it'll happen eventually.
4:19pm
Don't you miss me, Ryang?
Frustrated, Ryang tosses his phone—but not far. It lands several feet away on the edge of his bed.
He doesn't miss Yuri—and yet, there is a certain heaviness that comes with her absence, and the feeling of unease which crawls under his skin.
4:26pm
Be a dear and meet me on the rooftop of the Tower Building. I'll be waiting.
He doesn't have the will to disobey.
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When he arrives, Yuri is sitting cross-legged against a tall stone pillar near the edge of the roof. She beckons, and Ryang is jogging over to her before he can grimace and stop himself.
The air is humid, even in late afternoon, and the sky an odd, sickly shade of orange.
"Tell me why I'm here," Ryang tries to demand when he reaches Yuri, but it comes out as more of a plea.
Yuri raises a delicate hand, pointing to a green area in the distance.
"Do you see that? That's the park with the oak tree you used to come meet me at."
"So?"
Yuri smiles one of her rare smiles.
"Come back to me, Ryang."
Ryang scoffs. "You've gotta be kidding me."
"This is no joke, Ryang. People will suffer if you don't."
His breathing picks up, and he can feel his head beginning to ache. "Yuri, what have you done?"
"Your fickle faerie friend is at that park right now. As are my men. And rest assured, Koichi and Tsuyoshi will not go down so easily this time. You see—" Yuri pulls an ornate, bejewelled pin from her hair, "—this time, we have magic on our side."
Ryang shakes his head. "You'll never beat Fanta, henchmen or not. She's too powerful."
Leaning against the pillar, he stares down at the city below them.
"Leave me alone, Yuri. I'll never come back to you."
He should've known better than to be so careless with his words. He's standing on the edge of a seventy story building, for god's sake.
In a flash, Yuri is on her feet, her hairpin flying towards him, thrown with an uncanny accuracy (Ryang would later remember that it was enchanted).
It embeds itself in his hand—through his hand—and with a yell of horror, Ryang realises that he is pinned, quite literally, to the pillar underneath his palm.
The pain is ghastly. As is Yuri's expression of utmost fury.
"You forget, Ryang, that I will have you by any means. Dead or alive." She reaches into her pocket, and with a deft flick, she has her favoured weapon in hand. Ryang's blood runs cold.
"You're insane," he stammers, his voice shaking, "You're out of your mind, Yuri."
"I'm sorry," she says coldly, but for a second Ryang thinks he sees sincerity flash through her eyes.
"Come here, Yuri," he says, and surprise colours her expression before she is clambering, almost stumbling to where he is pinned, one hand to the pillar, the other clenched by his side.
"Let me free," he implores her, brushing the fingers of his free hand across her temple. Yuri narrows her eyes, but pulls the hairpin from his hand. Ryang's eyes water from the pain and he grits his teeth, screwing his eyes shut tightly.
"Ryang, there is no you, or me. There is just us," Yuri says, and her arms entwine themselves around his body, entrapping him.
Ryang wraps his good arm firmly around her waist, and brings his bloodied hand up to cradle her cheek. The blood smears onto her skin and hair, painting them a deep scarlet—but Ryang doesn't care.
He tentatively tries to step backwards, but feels nothing but air beneath his feet. He is on the edge of the Tower.
"Just us," he echoes, and Yuri nods.
"Well, if it must be."
And he barely has time to register Yuri's surprise before he is stepping backwards off the building, pulling Yuri, still cradled in his arms, along with him.
They fall, although it seems to take forever.
Far, far down towards the hard concrete below.
Yuri's eyes catch his in those last few seconds before the impact, and she is not angry, Ryang realises, but glad. She sees the beauty of this.
'Just us', she mouths, and Ryang smiles.
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AN: Er, I'm not even gonna try and explain reasons for my absence. Mainly I'm writing for a different fandom now, but I shall be back with more chapters of Asunder sometime in the vague future.
The hairpin is enchanted, okay. Also, the Tower Building is partially made up—I don't know much about Korea, but I'm not sure there are pillars on top of their towers, as they seem very modernised. However, there is a seventy (seventy-three, actually) story building in Seoul. It's called Tower G of the Samsung Tower Palace. So there's some useless trivia for you.
Thanks for reading.
Much love,
RichelleBrinkley xx