I've become aware that people are a bit disgruntled because of how short my chapters are. I've been quite busy this week (namely, with finals) and overall distracted in general, which is why my chapters thus far have been so short. Thank you for bearing with me. Here's a double upload for this week (and this is almost two thousand words longer than usual ^^)
The dull roar of people yelling.
People talking, people moving, and shoving past me-
Hana couldn't stand it. She hadn't been in the midst of such a great crowd, since, well, ever, and she was more than a little overwhelmed by the feeling- hundreds of people pushing in from every side, carrying her powerless self along the current-
Genji waded on ahead, infuriatingly calm, because of course he was calm, he was fucking Genji, while Hana gasped for breath as someone shoved roughly past her, causing her to spin and almost lose balance. Luckily, she caught herself on someone else right as she was about to go down, but it caused her to fall even further behind her cyborg guide.
She surged forward, yelling something that was lost in the din of the crowd. "GENJI!" she tried, ditching the honorific, her voice scratchy from the hot air. Terror was rising in her throat, thick and suffocating as mud.
He ignored her, or maybe he hadn't heard her, and she was losing him, his sleek, plated body having disappeared into the folds of people, she was going to be lost, someone could just steal her away in the commotion and no one would ever notice-
-and then someone grabbed her hand.
She jumped at the cold contact; she struggled to free herself but the hand's grip was too strong, and all of a sudden, her mind was awash with the possibilities- the Ssang Kal had found her, or perhaps it was Mr. Seon, here to avenge himself from the disgrace Genji had placed upon him. The thoughts were wild, furious, irratic, illogical, but they jumped at her from every side in the hectic confusion, and for a moment she wildly believed them to be true.
Genji's voice called out something, maybe, or perhaps it was just the sound of rattling metal. Hana opened her mouth to yell something back, but her mind was going blank and the only thing she could to think to say was a loud "SHIBAL!" Her voice was lost to the rush, she couldn't move, she couldn't control anything, hands were reaching at her from every side, her voice quieting to a croak, repeated swearings of fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck-
And as quickly as she had been swept into the crowd, she found herself coming out of it.
Hana stumbled as she hit a few stragglers, still being tugged along by the person holding her hand. "Help," she pleaded, but the passersby opted to pay no attention to her. The word echoed in her head; had she really spoken them at all? Maybe she had just thought the words, and expected someone to come to her aid. As if someone ever did. She looked up, trembling-
And it was just the friendly cyborg holding her hand, body glinting in the glow of the lanterns. He wasn't even looking at Hana as he turned towards what appeared to be another stall of some sort. His voice came out casual, unworried. "I wanted to buy you some-"
Hana yanked her hand from Genji's, still heaving. "Michin-nom," she spat, and she knew it wasn't fair for her to curse at him but in the moment she had been so utterly terrified. Had he even known the scare he had given her?
But then again, how could he have known about her touch aversion? Up until this point, even she hadn't been aware of its existence. All she had known was that she felt vague discomfort when touched; she certainly didn't know it was possible for her to flip out like this-
She looked up through her lashes, breathing steadying, to where Genji stood stock-still, as if he were processing her reaction. Her actions had been completely unwarranted; Hana knew that. Please don't be afraid.
He took a backwards step. Hana's heart sank like a stone.
I messed up. I- I don't know- why did I flip out like that? She could still feel tingles running down her arm, from where she had been grabbed. The adrenaline rush buzzed nervously in her head. He probably thinks I'm a freak.
Shame coursed through her veins. Genji had tried so damn hard to be friendly to her, even going as far as protecting her from Mr. Seon. He'd held her hand so that she wouldn't get lost, not to attack her. What the fuck was wrong with her? The question repeated itself a dozen times in her head. Why did I react like that?
"I… am very sorry, Hana-san," she heard the cyborg say uncertainly. Hana flushed.
He thinks I'm fragile. I overreacted, this is all my fault. What if- and she hated even considering the thought- what if he sends me back? Because I'm not good enough, not strong enough to be in Overwatch. He thinks I'm just a sensitive little kid-
He was still speaking calmly, as if trying not to soothe a spooked animal. "I was not thinking properly. I won't…." As he trailed off, Hana straightened her back, forcing herself to swallow all of her anxieties, wiping clean the panicked flush that had spread across her face. Fear was still prickling at her insides, and her mind was alive with terrible thoughts.
Please don't send me back-
-Mr. Seon, laughing at her, clutching her hard-earned money in one hand-
-they're waiting for me there-
-the stink of alcohol as Hana tried to balance the tray of liquor in one tiny hand, tears burning in her eyes as they laughed at her struggle, her mother's giggle rising above them all-
-they'll kill me if I return-
-her lower lip was split, her ribs stung from where she had been kicked-
-I can't go back!
"I overreacted," DVA said, voice as steady as you would please. My mistake, my mistake, I'm so sorry, take me with you. "I should be the one apologizing."
Almost instinctually, she bowed slightly in Genji's direction. The cyborg went silent, as if completely unsure of how to respond. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of Hana's face- what was he thinking, what decisions were he making? Do I want to know?
The cyborg's voice came out rich with concern. "Hana-san, raise your head. You have nothing to apologize for." He extended a hand, almost as if to place it on her shoulder, but drew it back after a moment's hesitation.
Fragile. Broken. Hana's face twisted, just slightly.
"I'm not really sure what came over me," she confessed, straightening once again. That much was true. "It was just- the rush. The crowd." She waved vaguely at the receding horde of people, that faint feeling of fear stabbing through her once again. It wasn't you. "I-"
"It's fine," Genji cut in, and this time he sounded more firm than gentle. "By no means is it a big deal… Hana."
Hana. Not Hana-san. The drop of the honorific made her name hover awkwardly in the silence for just a moment longer than it should have. A sudden surge of warmth came over Hana- an absurd, illogical feeling, because all Genji had done was say a name…
Genji pointed at the stand, obviously as embarrassed as Hana was, which Hana noticed was covered in hanging bundles of intricate, woven bracelets. "Anyways, I brought you here because I thought you'd like one of these." It was the first time Hana heard Genji sound so hesitant, and she felt another rush of warmth for the man.
He was thinking of me? And after all the trouble I caused him…
A more cynical part of her was telling her, of course he's being kind, it'll do nothing but benefit him. Imagine if he were rude to me. Imagine what Amari-nim would say! Her feelings soured, but only slightly.
"I couldn't possibly accept another gift," said Hana politely, but Genji had already plucked a bracelet from the rack- one woven together from many strips of soft, maroon leather, studded with rosy glass beads. Hana saw immediately why he had singled this particular bracelet out: a rabbit charm hung from the loops of leather, though not quite as stylized as DVA's logo was. She made a protesting noise as she stepped forward, grabbing his arm to force him to set it down-
-see, I don't have any problem with touching people-
"-Genji, it's fine."
He raised a finger to his (masked) lips with his free hand. "Shh shh shh shh shhhhh. Not another word. I need to give you something so that you remember me after you become rich and famous," he said playfully. He offered the bracelet to Hana. The beads made a tinkling noise as they rattled against his metallic finger joints. "How about this one?"
Something inside of Hana felt especially sore as she watched the cyborg ignore her angry outburst as if it had never happened- it was the feeling of guilt, she supposed. I really don't deserve his kindness.
But knowing he wasn't about to take no for an answer, she forced a grin onto her face and took the bracelet from him. "It's very pretty," she said sincerely, gazing down at the delicate band. The faceted beads sprinkled little dots of light inside of her cupped hands, and the charm felt cool against her skin. "How much does it co-"
"You're not paying for it- we're buying the bracelet so that I can show off how rich I am!" scolded Genji, his modulated voice humming with suppressed laughter. A genuine smile grew out on Hana's face, though she rolled her eyes at his glibness.
Hana could tell the man was grinning behind his visor as he swiped the bracelet from Hana, sticking it over his own wrist. Confused, she opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted when Genji struck a flamboyant pose, swords, mask, pink bracelet and all.
"I'm DVA, and I play to win," he mimicked, and Hana couldn't keep acting cold and distant towards the man anymore. She dissolved into laughter at the painfully accurate rendition of her online persona, before snatching the bracelet from him, putting it on, and squeaking out a "GEE GEE, noob! Is this eeeeezee mooo-"
"If you're not going to buy anything, put the bracelet down," grumbled the jewelry vendor from the shadows of the stall's awnings in gravelly Korean. Hana turned to see that the vendor was an old lady, back crumpled from age.
She flashed her best smile in the lady's direction, with a "Miyaneho, ajumma! But we're not buying anything. We'll just put it back…"
Then she realized that the bracelet was gone, and Genji was trotting off towards the stall, a pouch of money having materialized in his other hand. She hastily made his way after him.
"It's expensive, and we really shouldn't be buying it," Hana said, wary. No response.
The cranky woman grumbled to herself as she took the bracelet from Genji's hands, snapping off the price tag with one flick of the wrist. She squinted up at Hana, completely ignoring Genji. "That'll be 12,000 won," she said, hand extended.
Genji turned towards Hana. "What did she say?" he asked, in English. The vendor's face contorted slightly, and Hana heard her snort 'foreigners' under her breath.
"Tell your guard to give me 12,000 won," articulated the woman in slow Korean, still facing Hana. "Are you dead on your feet, child? Go on, tell him."
There was a moment of confusion. I'm obviously not the one with the money, so why is she-
And then the realization hit. The lady was assuming that Genji was an Omnic, and most likely a servant. Hana's servant. A feeling of defensiveness surged up in favor of her new (and only) friend; Hana didn't know whether or not to embarrassed or flat-out ashamed. Unconsciously, her mouth opened to say something rude.
"This should be enough," said Genji, sounding completely nonplussed as he counted out 12,000 won. He dropped the money into the lady's open palm, who pocketed it with a suspicious glare aimed at Genji. Hana's head whipped around to Genji, and she was about to say something when she found… when she found that the other customers were staring at them. Openly, blatantly, as if there were nothing rude about the act.
Not at me, she thought slowly. At Genji.
They weren't looks of distrust or fear- rather, they seemed impressed. From behind a covered hand, the tall woman standing behind them whispered something in Korean to her short-haired friend, and Hana caught the words bodyguard, rich, and newer model.
Indignation seized Hana by the shoulders and spun her around to face the pair of women, shooting off in rapid-fire Korean: "He's not an Omnic, and even if he were, you shouldn't just assume that he's mine bec-"
A hand clamped on Hana's shoulder, she jumped and turned, that unsettling feeling from being grabbed suddenly returning to the pit of her stomach, but it was only Genji again. He didn't say anything, just gave her a curt nod.
In other words, a silent cut it out.
Hana was still trying to form protests with her mouth as Genji dragged her away from the scene, leaving behind the strange looks that the customers were now aiming at their backs. As they neared the edge of the markets, she could hear them beginning to talk louder. The snatches of their conversations that she heard only served to make her angrier:
"How much d'you reckon the Omnic costed?"
"Probably a small fortune. She's one of those rich man's daughters, she is."
"A little girl like that, with such an expensive toy-"
"I'd take it apart, if I were her. Those ventilation ports are worth at least a million wo-"
She tugged on Genji's hand again, no longer fearful of his touch, and burning with anger.
"Genji, wait! We need to go back." Those fuckers need to shut up.
He didn't stop. She tried to plant her boots into the ground, but the sandy grass didn't offer much traction, and she slid along anyways.
How much d'you reckon the Omnic costed? Really? What had happened to the entire Omnic Rights movement, and what the hell gave people the idea that they could assume people's biological identities?
And that brief encounter had done more than just shed light on people's thoughts on Omnics- it forced Hana to realize that this was something that Genji dealt with very possibly every single day, something she hadn't even considered upon first meeting him. Her limited interaction with humans had certainly made her aware of the issue, but experiencing it firsthand was something completely different altogether. Her heart was swamped with pity, and then- and then genuine irritation.
Hana scowled at Genji's back. "Aren't you mad at them?" Genji was supposed to have enhanced hearing so there was no way he hadn't overheard them. Sure, he couldn't understand Korean, but he would sure as hell be able to recognize their tone.
Why aren't you standing up for yourself? You fought Mr. Seon and even talked to my mother; why can't you do this?
He did those things for your sake, not his, hissed that pesky little voice in her head.
The reddish glow of the night market receded into the background. Wind rippled across the beach, which was overgrown with thin, dark blades of grass.
Genji wasn't responding to her, and he wasn't letting go over her arm, either. Hana supposed that they had left the market for good, then. The Korean girl looked up to where Genji's head was, knowing she was just trying to provoke him at this point, but goddamn if those people hadn't gotten her angry…
But no words came out. She was staring up at the sky, and it was beautiful.
Without the obstructing light from lanterns, Hana could see millions of little stars embedded like diamonds into the vast fabric of the night sky, cold, bright, and ancient. Her breath caught in her throat. She'd never seen such a sight.
Over the span of her fifteen years of life, Hana had rarely ever gone outside, though it wasn't as if she could see a sight like this even if she did leave the apartment- the ambient light of the city made it impossible to make out even the brightest stars.
The wind blew Hana's hair back in streaming, dark ribbons. A peculiar feeling stirred in her chest- one that, strangely enough, was making tears prickle in the corners of her eyes.
Genji let go of her hand. He was laughing as he raised his arms out, as if to embrace the night wind. His armor glinted silver in the starlight.
"Isn't it grand?" His voice came out deep and smooth, the metallic undertones causing it to carry to every corner of the beach, as if he were making an announcement to the sky.
"The world is at peace tonight."
The grasses whispered as the wind caused them to ripple and sway. Hana sat down, in the soft sand of a beach dune. She hugged her knees close to her chest, staring up at the sky, her new bracelet chimed at her wrist, like a choir of little bells.
"It's fucking gorgeous," she breathed.
Something about the scene was affecting her in unfamiliar ways. The anger was slowly draining away. How inconsequential the entire scuffle back at the market seemed, in comparison to the vast openness of the sky. It wasn't really an emotion she could explain, try as she might- just- it was, it was dawning on her that-
The world is a huge place.
A pang of regret- And I spent fifteen years just sitting in my room.
Genji sat down next to her, sinking into the sand of the dune with a quiet hissss. His glowing visor hummed quietly in tandem with the wind, his ventilators letting out a gentle puff of steam.
She swiveled her head to look at his shadowed form, in the darkness. He had gone very still as he stared at the inky indigo above them, as if seeking an answer written in the stars. Hana didn't know much about the mysterious man's past, and by consequence, didn't know much about the man's ambitions, but something about him felt calm.
So this is what it means to be at peace.
Silence rang in the air, but it wasn't an awkward silence. It was a peaceful, comfortable silence, more soothing to Hana then any lullaby could've been. The sand sifting between her fingers was still warm from the day's sun, and she found herself sinking slowly into a calm stupor.
. . .
"Genji?"
"Yes."
She took a deep breath. "Thanks for this. I…. needed something to cool my head."
Genji let out a noncommittal hum.
Hana leaned backwards until she was flat on her back, the expanse of stars stretching out before her very eyes. She thought, maybe, that they were twinkling.
I could stay like this forever. Hana's lashes fluttered. She let her eyes close, a curtain of black falling over her world.
I want to stay like this forever.
"Can we just… sit here a little while?" she asked quietly, into the darkness, where she knew Genji was listening.
Another hum, which Hana took to be of affirmation. A small smile grew out on Hana's face.
So they sat there, the cyborg and the child, until at last Hana fell into the dark holds of sleep.
End
….no, not really the end. It would be nice if everything could just stop like that, though, right?
Unfortunately for Hana and Genji, the real battle starts next chapter. If violence or injuries or any of the really dark stuff isn't your thing, I suggest you stop reading here, though. Just as a last warning, Hana's nightmares are going to become more intense, and be of considerably more graphic/darker things.
I just found out about the 'Reviews' function (ha, silly me) and was quite surprised to see that people have actually posted reviews on this story. I read through all of them, and very much appreciate your kind comments. Thank you for supporting me so far, and here's to many more chapters in the future.
-FillerText
Translation Notes:
Miyaneho, ajumma!- Sorry, (old) lady! Isn't as rude as it may seem; in general calling someone an 'ajumma' is acceptable to those above 40 years of age.
12000 won- 'Won' is a Korean unit of money. 12000 won (the cost of Hana's bracelet) is equivalent to about 10.24272 U.S. dollars.
Busan- Just a geographical note in general, South Korea is almost completely surrounded with water. Busan (Hana's home) is a coastal city.
