Guest: Thank you for being the first person to comment on this new version. :) And no worries about the first version. It will stay in my stories. I wish wholeheartedly for you to like this new book and enjoy this chapter.
Whether it is morning, middle of the day, or evening, Jessy can't tell. She merely keeps on switching her gaze between the window – that shows her the dark world outside of the four walls she is in – and the ceiling. All the while trying to listen to the sounds of the strange house – there is none. Also, there is no clock anywhere, so trying to tell how long it has passed since she woke up is impossible. Yunan has not even appeared and he has proven once to know the time better than she does around here.
The brunette turns to her side, the bed creaks under the movement and she sighs heavily. The covers feel more than comfortable and are warm against her body. With nothing else to do, Jessy has started to inspect the material of her new set of clothes that Yunan brought. A creamy white and long nightdress – honestly, the young woman would prefer something with pants. It is loose enough, though, and warm. As for her old clothes, she had a reluctantly handed them over to Yunan who had cleaned them up for her. Even now, Jessy feels uncomfortable from the memory. She doesn't like the idea of a half-stranger cleaning her clothes.
He is just a character from a story! There is no need to get flustered! Is what she has been trying to yell at herself, mentally. But, there is no denying how real everything has been so far.
Jessy bites down on her lower lip, feeling how it stings from being bitten too often lately. Her eyes feel raw and dry, her nose is blocked, and she has to sneeze into a nearby tissue ball. It is gross, she knows. But, with all the silence and nobody to talk to, the scary and dark thoughts are mulling together.
She keeps on begging, praying for this to be a nightmare. Is it such an impossible daydream to fulfill? It seems like it because she keeps on waking up and nothing changes.
The inner struggle is becoming too heavy and painful for her to bear, so Jessy sits up, testing her less sore muscles after what has felt to her like a day. Tears are still stinging her eyes when the young woman stands up and walks to a chair where her clothes are laying on. She puts them on and is surprised by the fresh scent of lemon that washes over her.
The clothes are the same ones she wore before stepping into this dream-like reality. A sleeveless purple shirt for hot weather and a skinny pair of blue jeans that reach half-way to her calf. As for her shoes, they are neatly placed on the floor – a pair of brown sandals with white lines. When Jessy has put her clothes on, she stares at them almost like in a trance. Even one of the buckles that have a small scratch on it looks the same. Too real. This still isn't a dream, is it?
Jessy looks around the place once more. When nothing changes, her stomach drops from disappointment along with her shoulders. It is hopeless, she isn't dreaming.
When she goes out of the room and looks around, there is a long and lonesome hallway stretching out to right. Down the hall, her green eyes can see a square hole on the floor and railings on the side – the stairs. She leaves her guest room behind and then descends to a kitchen.
This is real.
"You are awake," Yunan smiles and turns around with a tray in his hand. "Good morning."
The brunette stares at him a bit surprised, she almost forgot that he is here as well. But then, she swallows and gives a weak smile in return. "G-good morning."
He obviously notices the strained tone immediately. "You aren't hurting anywhere, are you?"
She shifts her weight from one leg to another and lets her eyes wander to the side. The young woman ponders his question for a while, going through the mental and physical sensations. Honestly, just seeing the blond man makes her stomach clench and palms get sweaty, but she tries not to show signs of distress. The whole place smells like food, the air is warm – something that should feel welcoming and nice – but it is making Jessy feel sick and very full. Still real.
"No. I feel better," she finally answers and the forced smile falls.
It is Yunan's turn to be quiet for a while, but then he asks: "Are you hungry?"
Instantly, Jessy is shaking her head. The thought of swallowing a bite makes her feel worse. "Can I just have some water, please?"
"Eh?" Large blue eyes blink more than twice and look at her with an expression close to a shock. "But… You haven't eaten much for an almost full day."
"Really, I am not hungry," she says more firmly and then looks down at the tray in his hands. She bites on her tongue from seeing the bread with jam on it along with a plate full of potatoes with some kind of meat. A bile starts to rise, and Jessy must look away again.
"Then," Yunan trails off, sounding a bit bothered by her response, but then brightens up by saying: "How about a fruit? That couldn't be too bad?"
"…I guess… not," Jessy finishes lamely and watches his smile brighten up. It reminds her of a child.
The magi places the wooden tray with the food to the side. "Great! Just a second, then."
She watches him turn around and go through a cabin, not bothered at all by the fact that his food got rejected. But, it does nothing to ease growing tension in Jessy's chest, as she looks back at the untouchable food. "Sorry for the trouble."
He walks back with a bowl full of fruits, instead of just one or two. "It is no trouble. I can understand that you must feel more than distressed right now."
Jessy's throat tightens. Hearing those words only remind her how true it is. She tries to ignore the distant whimper from within herself and sits down with a blank face. She does not feel hunger, yet. Although, the fruits look fresh. There are bananas, apples, pears, oranges and grapes on top of one another. Waiting to be taken and eaten.
Hesitantly – stiffly – she reaches out and takes a pear. It is almost as green as the green on Yunan's clothes. Still, it doesn't make Jessy feel any hunger. She continues staring at it, unsure whether to take a bite or not. She glances at the tray on the side, only to notice it is gone and Yunan has settled on eating an apple on the other side of the table. He bites down on it and Jessy looks down at her own fruit with a frown.
How can she sit silently in here and eat this thing? She should be going crazy right now. This isn't supposed to be real, but it is. Yet, the young woman wishes with all her might to 'wake up' in her own bed – or even one at the hospitals. She wants to see her parents, that would make her feel better. But that isn't possible in here. There are no phones around, no tv or anything visible outside that could help her wildly moving mind. It is making her head hurt.
Gritting her teeth together for a few seconds, Jessy finally takes a bite out of the pear. It is sweet, but the texture is for some reason like paper to her. Dry, cracking and choppy.
"Jessy, your face is turning pale. Is there something wrong with the fruit?"
Weakly, she shakes her head and forces herself to take another bite. "Can I have water, now, please?"
The blond man's eyes widen in realization. She had asked the same thing a little while ago. "Oh, of course. Just a moment."
Jessy chews, swallows and struggles to decide whether to continue eating or tell the truth that she is feeling sick. She is suddenly regretting the very fact she even rose up from the bed and came here. It has only been less than ten minutes since that happened. And yet – this isn't my world – she is feeling worse than the moment she woke up. She wishes that Yunan would – I want to go home – hurry up and bring the water. It might – I want this to be a dream – help a little.
She isn't supposed to be sitting here calmly. She has to hurry up and find a way back to home. No doubt her family is worried. Did that crash even happen? What about her father? I didn't have a scratch on me when I arrived, but Yunan might have had his magic playing on that part. If so, then what happened after the impact? It is all so hazy. All Jessy can recall is driving, talking, then… Unconsciously, the young woman's fingers start to press harshly on the green skin of the pear. It stays steady for a while until four of her fingers sink into it. The new sensation snaps Jessy out of whatever thought is disturbing her peace of mind. She looks down at the fruit and very slowly retreats her nails out of it. She feels a bit ashamed to have done such a thing without realizing it. Drops of the juice fall on the table, and she hurriedly wipes them away.
"Here you go," Yunan places a mug down.
"Thank you," Jessy says softly and then reaches out eagerly. Her throat is so dry, and a tight lump keeps on crushing it. However, as she has taken few gulps and plans on taking another, she notices how Yunan is staring, his own apple completely forgotten. Getting more than a bit uncomfortable with it, she finally asks rather bluntly: "Why are you staring?"
He blinks a few times but then looks down without the usual smile present on his face. His blue orbs are fixed on the apple in his hand and the bite mark on it. "I am sorry about that. But, you are truly different from other people I have seen."
Jessy frowns. "What?"
"The Rukh," he says like it would answer her question. Then, he raises his eyes back up. "You don't have any."
She freezes for a second but then relaxes again after a short while of thinking. "I see."
"You aren't surprised?" Yunan asks, looking a bit shocked by her nonchalant answer.
Jessy shrugs and looks to the side. "I… I am not sure. But it doesn't really matter if I have any or don't. It won't help me to get back… home nor does it have any significant meaning to me. T-the only problem would probably occur if someone else but you could see that I am different, and questions would start to rise up," she finishes and then starts drinking again. She is a bit surprised how easily she was able to answer and how passive she is about this new fact.
Though, she thought about this whole thing quite coolly and simply in her head: she only needs to worry about getting out of this world and back to her family. There has been more than plenty of time for her to think these things through. She couldn't care less about anything else in this fiction world.
The only man in the room looks at her thoughtfully and then gives a small smile. It is a sad one. "Jessy, I can't say that I know the method, but I certainly hope that you can return home one day somehow."
He said, 'one day', the words echo inside Jessy's skull and she stops breathing. When would this 'one day' come? After months? A year? A decade? She doesn't want to imagine the amount of time that she would have to wait for it to arrive. Would she have to wait in here? In this dark place in the middle of the unknown? She can't even tell one hour from a minute anymore.
The hand holding the pear is starting to clench and tremble. The young woman grits her teeth together from the feeling of her lower lip trembling. Y-you aren't a child… don't cry…
"I…" she starts slowly, inhaling deeply to calm her nerves. Her gaze gets blurry for a second and then returns back to normal. However, before she even knows it, there is a tear trailing down her cheek. She is shaking and almost can't continue on speaking. "I-I want t-to go back h-home."
She can't possibly keep on staying here. There is her job, her friends, and family, her life. There is no way that Jessy can simply ignore the fact that all of those things are waiting. Frankly, she couldn't no matter what would happen. She is terrified of tossing it all to the side and forgetting the faces of the beloved ones Why am I even here? Is this some sort of punishment from the afterlife? The inner question starts to make her anguish worsen. Her chest feels so heavy that it could break at any moment.
The pear drops down to the table and Jessy covers her mouth to fight back a sob. The rather large space is starting to feel so small and suffocating. The air is too dry to be inhaled and the heavy silence is too heavy for Jessy's ears not to start ringing.
Suddenly, she is being hugged and stiffens. It isn't a suffocating hug – more like one arm is wrapped gently around her both shoulders and another one rests softly on the right one. Her skin prickles and the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She curses from not choosing to wear a long-sleeved shirt the morning she rose up to take her father to the airport, for now, her bare skin can feel the warmth radiating off from Yunan quite easily.
He is hugging her – without permission or warning. It makes Jessy's entire mind grow blank and stare ahead with an unreadable expression on her face. The tears are frozen on her face and only one or two manage to escape.
The Rukh flutters and flies all around the two of them. Before landing on both people who stay silent.
Jessy blinks, feeling how the warmth of Yunan's chest starts to feel like an overly working heater. Breaking the personal space, she has always had in less than two minutes after her breakdown in the middle of a kitchen, wasn't something Jessy had thought the magi would do or is capable of. It is easy to see that he is someone with a cheery and warm disposition, but one would think he knows when a person wants to be touched in the middle of dreadful circumstances.
He means no harm to her. He has been nothing but a nice and kind-hearted person this whole time. Jessy has already exploded on him once or twice – keeping a count of unpleasant memories is something she rather not be doing – and doesn't want yet another time to happen.
The hold around her tightens and by now, Jessy has gone rigid and her fists are trembling violently. However, she soon tries to relax and lets the tears to go down against her face. She might not know Yunan that well, but a human contact is probably that one thing that could help her. Not to mention she has to take these feelings out somehow.
So, with little resistance on her part, Jessy leans on Yunan and starts crying. He simply keeps on hugging her and at some point, even strokes the top of her head few times.
Then, he said something that made the crying worse.
"I will help you the best of my ability, Jessy."
She grits her teeth and hugs him back. Her arms shakily wrapping themselves around him. He is warm. Whatever small thoughts have been lingering in her mind – about all of this being a dream – it is proven to be wrong once again. So, it disappears and will probably never return.
"Please," she whispers and buries her face into his chest, craving for warmth and human contact, "I want to return."
Yunan merely holds her tighter.
"Do you like it?"
Jessy blinks her wide green eyes a few times, looking at the magi and then at the floating food that has appeared out of thin air. The Rukh flutters around the place more wildly than she has seen so far and they keep on chirping into her ears every passing second. Still, the young woman is in awe and continues watching the scene playing before her with mouth half-open.
She hadn't expected him to do this. Maybe at some point. But not so suddenly and without a warning. She had merely sat down a few seconds ago and he had simply stood a few feet away from her. Then, the magic had happened and nearly sent Jessy down from the chair. Her heart still feels like it could leap out of her chest.
"Yunan, you are amazing," is finally what she manages to force out and leans back when plates of food are floated in front of her.
The blond man pauses but then chuckles. "Thank you."
She shakes her head, wondering if she imagined the food's appearance. "No, seriously. I have never seen anything like this."
It is Yunan's turn to blink as he looks between the food and awed woman. He tilts his head. "They don't have magic back in your world?"
"…"
"Oh, I am sorry," he lowers his eyes, noticing how Jessy falls silent.
She shakes her head again and reaches out for the bread. Though, the memories of her own home fill her head and make a sudden weight appear on her shoulders and heart… But it doesn't feel as bad as she would have thought. The recalling of her situation has now less impact on her emotional than it did before. It is funny how one day of crying can change your perspective on something. It is all thanks to him, she thinks and looks up at the blond.
Yunan looks a bit flustered. He is looking around awkwardly, probably still thinking that he had said something wrong. It makes Jessy feel a little bad for not answering his previous question. When their eyes meet though, she offers him a small smile and gestures to the food.
"Aren't you going to eat as well?"
He blinks – in a way she has noticed him do more than once today – and then nods with a smile of his own. "Sure."
As the brunette takes her first bite of the food, she recalls something from the manga. In it, in one of the chapters, Aladdin had described the food Yunan had magically summoned to him tasting like a cloud – or something similar, she can't exactly remember properly. However, she can't really agree. Sure, there is this strange quality to it, but she can't exactly describe it properly. It is solid, tastes good and that is probably all of it. And, it is warm. Lately, she has noted how she takes notice of small details of everything she touches, feels or like now, tastes. It is probably to assure her, bring some sort of security.
As for Yunan, Jessy is also watching him. How his hair moves whenever he does, how his voice sounds like – when it is higher or when it drops – or how his clothes shuffle as he walks across the room. This new hobby is creepy, she admits it. Even now, after taking only a few bites, the young woman stares deep into his blue eyes that focus on the food.
They are bluer than anyone else's eyes that she has ever seen. She can't recall any brighter color on someone's orbs. Come to think of it, they must be the color of the sky. Days – many, few, she doesn't know – inside one wooden building surrounded by shrouded dark has almost made Jessy forget what it is like to be out. Also, this place doesn't have many colors to it. If you don't count Yunan, the only blue thing Jessy has seen so far is a mug on a shelf.
It isn't like she is a prisoner. She can ask to go out… but the young woman hesitates. In fact, she feels a slight fear of just the thought of going out. Would this world really be like in the anime?
"There isn't any magic," she starts, going off track of her original thoughts, "in my world, I mean."
Yunan pauses with eating and looks up at her in surprise. "Really? That is peculiar."
If something is peculiar, it is you. Jessy smiles weakly and looks back down at her plate. "But, if I am here, now. I guess anything is possible even in my home… Yunan, you might find this strange, but how is the Kou Empire here?"
"Huh?"
"I want to know at what timeline I am in," she explains, but then add in a hurry, when she notices the strange expression on Yunan's face. "I am not planning on changing anything, though!"
He stares at her for a second but then smiles. "I wasn't really thinking that you would. You just surprised me with your question. I take it that the Kou Empire plays an important role?"
When Jessy gives a nod, Yunan's expression changes again. He starts to look a little troubled and it makes her stiffen in turn.
Maybe I should have asked something else? She can still remember well enough that at some point at the beginning of the Magi series, the Kou Empire was gaining power and kept on conquering new lands. Now that the young woman thinks for a moment what she has asked, she regrets it a bit. Her green eyes lower to the edge of the table. Yunan may be asking himself if that kingdom will be causing serious trouble. Which isn't exactly very far from the truth. Should I change the subject? No. Apologize? Wait. What should I even apologize for?
She is truly starting to become uncomfortable and her appetite from before is forgotten. She has started mentally scolding herself for getting carried away and landing herself in this situation. Here she is, acting relaxed and then letting stupid questions come out of her mouth.
"Kou Empire is currently spreading, but it has a full control in the east," Yunan finally answers, his troubled expression not leaving.
Jessy can't keep her mouth shut anymore. "It… Is everything alright?"
The blond magi seems to visibly snap out whatever he is thinking and smiles awkwardly. "Ah, sorry. It is just that I am a bit worried about that kingdom. With the way it is handling things, I mean."
She stares at him this time, a nagging question poking her mind. What about the Metal Vessel users? She knows that those people can be dangerous as well. Especially, when they are in a royal family. She wants to know his opinion on that as well, but a small voice tells her to keep her mouth tightly shut. She has already started an awkward conversation, to begin with, and now Yunan looks less than happy. Rather, he is really worried. He doesn't mean anything lightly.
"B-but…" she hesitates and gets Yunan's attention, "you don't have to worry about Kou. It will be fine – the kingdom will be fine… in the end… Along with everything else!" She almost jumps from the sheer volume of the final sentence. She hadn't meant to sound so panicked or rushed.
Yunan also looks surprised by her words, but then a new expression crosses his face. "Really?"
Jessy stiffens but relaxes from seeing that he is looking close to being relieved. Her tense posture slackens a bit and she clears her throat. "Y-yes."
She continues watching what kind of face the magi is making. From relief, it slowly turns into joy and he is smiling again. There are no signs of previous worry or sourness on his face. "That is a relief," he more like breathes out and his shoulders slump down.
Jessy continues staring at him, but this time in surprise. She had expected him to be happier or less worried. Though, not to this kind of extent. He is so concerned about the future, huh. She feels a bit happy that the conversation has been fixed into more positive direction. The young woman starts to feel even more relaxed in the magi's presence.
"Though," his tone changes and Jessy stiffens without meaning to. The blue-eyed man doesn't look displeased and his face is relaxed, gentle. "You have to understand that speaking of something that has not yet passed isn't a very wise decision. We must be silent on the matter of your knowledge. Even in this house."
Her muscles tighten. She can't look away from his blue eyes that seep through her own and are completely serious. Still, the young woman nods despite the way the atmosphere is dropping again and lowers her eyes back down to the table. "I… I know. I understand that. I don't plan on even meeting those whose stories I remember in this world… Rather, I wish to avoid that ever from happening."
Yunan pauses. "I am sorry for assuming things, but are you planning on staying here? How do you expect to get back, if you stay put?"
The question is an extra weight which causes her chest to clench. Jessy has to raise her gaze up and look at him in the eyes. They are soft and calm, waiting for her reply with patience. Still, she is uncomfortable and lowers her eyes once again. Her hands curl around the fabric of her pants and scratch the skin beneath. The mind that was filled with panicked and hazy thoughts is now blank.
Of course, he had just started the same conversation that they already had with disastrous end some time ago. She has been thinking of it nearly every minute she spent in the bed, under the covers. But that is about it. Never did a spark strong enough to push the young woman out appear. And as a result, she wants to crush the very idea of venturing out into this strange world completely out of her head. Although, it proves to be impossible now. Her hands are trembling slightly under the table and on top of her thighs. Anxiety piles up and her unsureness grows. She isn't sure how to answer or what to even say anymore. I am not a coward, is what she wants to assure herself… but it is quite obvious how small and thin her backbone is.
Jessy starts making a mental list of any kind of danger she can think of – like the last time this subject of leaving rose up. There are slaves in this world, slavers, robbers, naturally occurring disasters like a storm or an earthquake can also occur – Jessy doesn't care if she also has those back in her own world – not to mention if this is a dangerous timeline she could end up at a wrong place at a wrong time. Not to mention she can't even read this place's gibberish and would be totally hopeless if reading skills were required. Also… where would she even look for answers? Yunan doesn't even know a way back to her home.
"Where would I even begin to look?" She finally speaks, asking quietly. "Is there even a way back?"
Yunan speaks the next words softly: "Please, don't say such things."
"But what if it is true? What if there is really no way back?" She continues bitterly, gloomier than ever before from letting her feelings loose. "What if I came here to never return? The last thing I remember… i-is a crash. It was so terrible… I am not even sure, i-if I was supposed to survive it."
Nor am I surer of my dad.
"You are here now," Yunan starts, his voice somewhat calming. "That should mean that you are alive."
He doesn't understand.
She shakes her head and then looks back down at the meal. She was hungry, and despite the appetite vanishing when this subject came up, it is clear that she needs to eat something. She hasn't eaten over half of what is on her plate. She had taken barely four bites. She had been sidetracked by hers and Yunan's conversation.
Honestly, he hasn't said anything that Jessy wants to hear. In fact, now it feels like he is trying to drive her into a corner. Like he wants her to feel insecure and make her leave his house. The thought sounds absurd – considering that this is the Yunan that she is thinking of. The one who had helped her and is one of the kindest characters in the show. Though, Sinbad has a grudge against him for some reason.
Not wanting to make an eye contact, Jessy raises her head and immediately turns to her to the side. "Can we just eat?"
There is another silence and she doesn't dare to grab a fork before the owner of the house gives his permission. Though, she is worried he will give her a different kind of response.
However, Yunan says this: "Of course. We can't let it get cold, can we."
He lets it slide? A little shocked, Jessy glances up to see him happily gulping down the remains of his food. Like none of the heavy air from before even existed. Is he always this quick to change… or is it because he noticed my discomfort? Truth to be told, she doesn't have that good of a grasp on Yunan's character from simply watching anime and reading manga.
Not wanting to bother herself any further, Jessy starts to eat at a calm pace. Although, she wants nothing more than to shove all the food down her throat and be done with this whole dinner. The noises and the flying Rukh keep on distracting her, though.
She looks around awkwardly and then at the smiling magi few feet away. He hasn't stopped showing that expression since the moment he came to get her from her room – guest room, it is not hers. Like this, he looks like an excited child. The Rukh around him flutters with that same kind of emotion, fast. Which makes her conclude that even they can sense his mood. Honestly, so can she. It is quite obvious. He is seated, looking more than comfortable and a healthy blush on his cheeks.
At first, she feels confused about how she got herself into this situation in the first place. The day has started and continued uneventfully enough, but Yunan has all of sudden changed that.
Biting her tongue few times, the brunette glances around, a bit impressed by what she sees. They are both in a rather large room, which looks like a miniature version of a public library. Books after books and some scrolls are lined up on the shelves and filling the entire space. Jessy inhales quietly. Despite the books looking a bit old, the whole room doesn't smell thick or bitter. Small green vines seem to grow out of the ceiling or walls, slithering their ways over the wooden surfaces. With those, the small library has an even smaller garden within its midst. That must be why the smell is rather light and close to nature. Like fresh grass.
Jessy finally decides to sit down – standing mutely will only make things more awkward for her – and looks at Yunan yet again. He is still smiling like there is no tomorrow and seems to perk up from her willingly going along with his plan.
Though green eyes slide down to the table with a few books on it, I would rather be sleeping. Although, she has gotten extremely bored with that. There is pretty much nothing to do around here. She doesn't remember how many days have passed anymore.
Finally, she lets out a defeated sigh. "You know, you don't have to do this."
"Don't worry about it. Teaching someone to read and write should prove to be interesting," Yunan chuckles, the very idea seeming to make him even more jovial.
Is he that bored? Jessy can't exactly see any sort of positive perks in teaching. She herself has half-siblings that need to be taught things, but that doesn't mean she has enjoyed it so far. They are cute, and she enjoys spending time with them to some extent, but that is about it. And now she feels like a toddler that needs to learn how to speak. Her face flushes from the thought of studying and failing in it. She has never been that great in school, she was average, but she is the worst when it comes to languages. Well, I am not really learning a new language entirely, right? I just have to learn to read and write, easy… I think.
She has started to sweat. It starts from her palms and spreads all the way to her back as a cold sweat. Still, she tries to appear nonchalant and crosses her legs and leans back. The chair's wooden surface feels like it is digging into her back, though.
Yunan grabs the first book and starts to flip it open. It doesn't look so bad, for it is fairly thin. But for Jessy, it is thick enough to make her head hurt from the thought of trying to make sense of the text. The blond man doesn't seem to notice her discomfort, though… At least, she thinks so.
His hand pauses around the first few pages and his blue eyes look up. "Are you alright?"
Her hands clench and she meets his curious gaze with a meek one. "… I am not that good with studying."
"That is alright," he smiles and then turns the book so that she can make sense of it. "You can ask from me if there is something you don't get or understand. That is what teachers are supposed to do, right? You will learn, so don't worry."
Jessy swallows a lump in her throat. He is smiling with so much confidence and it is making her feel worse about the future full of disappointments. Flashbacks of her academic scores from way back only add more load to her shoulders. Another weight comes down when she recalls the faces of the teacher who taught her those foreign language courses she took. The images just keep on flashing and before Jessy even knows it, she has her shoulders slumped down. When her education in language ended, she thought that that was the end of her turmoil. But now it is coming back, and the worst part is that Yunan will be teaching her.
Yunan has proven to be nice enough. She has even let him in into her comfort zone and the two have hugged – her skin crawls from the memory, though. But when you think of how much more advantaged he is in this world's language and how she doesn't understand whatever is written down on a book, you can't exactly blame Jessy for getting uncomfortable. She is feeling inferior.
She almost shakes her head from the last thought. That is ridiculous. There is nothing for me to be ashamed of.
However, her mentality sinks at the same time she takes a glance down at the foreign symbols in the book. Her mind becomes a blank page.
Yunan points at the first few lines. "These are few of the basic characters that you should learn."
"Few?" She almost laughs out loud. She isn't sure if it is a humorous or an uncomfortable sound.
The magi notices the look on her face and gives her an encouraging smile. "Don't worry. You will get a hang of them."
She has to force a very tiny smile of her own and then look down at the characters as Yunan starts to tell what they mean. To help her remember the meanings, he hands her some paper and a wooden pen to write things down in a language she can understand. But, unknown to him, it does more than help her comprehend the alien curves and turns of the words in the book. Seeing familiar words in English make her feel a little better, though, it also makes a hint of homesickness rise up to the surface. Her green eyes keep on darting between her own writing and the one in the book. The characters… are they Japanese or Chinese? She decides to settle with the first choice but leaves it at that. Even though she is even more confused by the fact that she can understand Yunan just fine and hears him speak English with her the whole time. There is no room in her mind to even bother to think about the confusions of all of it.
Not so surprisingly, the blue-eyed man continues being very patient with her. The praises he gives from the smallest of accomplishments become a bit too much, though. The young woman feels like a grade-schooler with every small positive cheer he gives her. She doesn't say it out loud, but he reminds her of her mother when she was younger. The woman who gave birth to her would sit by and help her study – especially after her test scores became too low – and do anything she could to make her stay focused and eager to learn. Jessy starts to wonder if that is why Yunan continues being so nice. To motivate her.
She bites down on her lower lip for the hundredth time and scribbles down another small note. Remembering the meanings of symbols proves to be pretty difficult after some time of trying to write them properly. She is trying her best to make the writing look similar to Yunan's or even the one in the book but compared to them hers looks too curvy and shaky. Baby steps.
Truthfully, Jessy mostly agreed to learn just to kill some time. Imagining being cooped up in this house for days, weeks or months terrifies her almost equal amount on the thought of leaving. Would she regret stepping out? She isn't too sure. Would she face dangers? Yes, she would. Though, Yunan was right, when he said that learning to write this world's language would prove to be helpful. She would be like a sheep stepping into a lion's cave if she doesn't get the basics – she would definitely stand out.
The question is… where would I go?
With no clues to how this all is even possible or why her, there are no leads to make her move forward. It is frustrating, and she can't almost stand it anymore. It makes all of this studying seem pointless. Her hand clenches around a fragile pen…
The bright birds suddenly fly in front of her eyes and she nearly blanches from surprise. Then, she frowns and swats her hand around to make them scatter. Of course, there has to always be more than one nuisance.
One of them lands on her nose and she cranes her head back while muttering a quiet: "Get off."
Yunan chuckles while watching her nose wrinkle as more of the Rukh start blocking her view. Their eyes meet and even Jessy chuckles a bit, slight flush of embarrassment coloring her cheeks.
"How about we will go out tomorrow?"
The sudden question makes the smile drop. Green eyes look at the man on the opposite side of the table with an emotion close to disbelief while he merely continues looking happy and waits patiently for her answer. The Rukh around him is flying quite fast, though, indicating that he must be a little nervous about what she might say.
Jessy continues staring at him for a while, before directing her gaze towards the nearest window. It is still dark, but she can easily understand what Yunan means. He isn't asking her to take a couple steps out and then come back quickly. The magi is actually planning on taking her where the sun shines, despite the fact how much she has shown dislike towards the idea. A part of her is actually ready to start another argument right here and now, but she bites down on her tongue in silence.
"To where?" She finally asks and looks back towards Yunan.
He starts to seem hopeful. "There is a village nearby and I haven't been there for a while now."
"… Okay?" She drawls out after a short pause, watching his expression carefully.
"And I would prefer not to leave you cooped up in here," he continues, the smile growing slightly. "This will be a good chance for you to get comfortable. They are really kind people and you will surely enjoy their company. I can't continue being the only person that you will talk to, right?"
He is right, a tiny voice speaks in the back of her mind. Jessy plays with the pen, twisting and turning it between her fingers with her lips sealed firmly. Like the pen, the hands of a clock keep on turning, the time moves forward, but she is staying still. The thoughts mix in her head into a tangled mess. Though, only one seems to come to the surface. It is something that makes her anxious and her heartbeat increases its speed. C'mon. Don't be spineless again.
Placing the pen down for a moment, Jessy inhales and looks at the blond man straight into eyes. "Fine. Sounds… good."
Hello! Sorry for not updating this story for a quite while.
I also have some bad news (well, not exactly bad for me, but for those who like this story). I am going to start traveling next week and I will be gone roughly around a week or two. Sadly, that is enough amount of time for my summer vacation to end and I will be going back to school. This vacation is also something, which allows me to have a break from social media and I can't update outside my country. Using the internet would be too expensive. I could write on my laptop, but that won't be possible as well… My companions forbid me to bring it along (a.k.a. my parents).
Anyways, I am glad I was able to work on this chapter and finally released it. I hope that my readers will be patient and have a nice time reading my other stories as well. Have a nice day!