Chapter 11

"Madam," Ye Joon said in his best but still very bad imitation of a high-class British butler.

Bowing, he pulled out a cobwebbed lined chair, the green velvety cushion coated in a thin layer of dust.

"Why thank you, good sir," she responded, matching his accent but pitching her voice an octave higher than normal. Primly, she sat, ignoring the cobwebs that clung to the velvet surface of the back, as Ye Joon pushed the chair in behind her. The cushioned bottom of the chair felt nice after the endless days of cold hard surfaces they had had to relax on. All she wanted to do was snuggle down into the luxury, but instead she forced herself to keep up the charade. Back straight, head held high, and hands resting in her lap, she was the picture of perfect elegance as she watched her dinner companion take his seat across from her.

He sat, ignoring the cobwebs covering his chair, just as she had done. They were no longer in an abandoned restaurant in the mall with the smell of rot and mold lingering in the air. No, they were in Europe. It was one of those fancy restaurants that people like her only dreamed of going to. Where meals cost an arm and a leg for only a single bite of food.

She stared at Ye Joon across the table where he mirrored her with his overly prim posture and upturned nose.

"I guess this food will do," he said again in his heavily accented English voice, "but I've seen butter."

"Butter," she asked, trying to keep the laugh from her voice.

His eyes darted around as he tried to puzzle out what he had just said. His eyes landed on a filthy grime covered plate in front of him, and the corners of his mouth turned up.

"Yes, butter. See?" He picked up the small plate from the table, cobwebs snapping and floating back down to the table as he lifted it to show her. "Butter makes things good. Definitely when from a," he paused searching for the right words, "happy cow."

His expression never changed from the high-class rich elite he was embodying, but she could see the corners of his lips twitching like it took all his will to hold back a smile.

"Happy cow," she asked, voice dubious, as she fought down her own smile.

"Happy cow," he repeated with a nod.

They stared at each other for a heartbeat, then the facade broke. Neither could make the charade last as they burst into a fit of giggles that would have sounded a bit hysterical to the normal ear.

Arms wrapped around her aching belly, she was bowed over herself so far, she was in danger toppling head over heel. Surfacing for air, she wiped at a tear that had rolled down her cheek. Likewise, on the other side of the table Ye Joon had also surfaced, his head popping up from below the table like a groundhog from his tunnel. Their eyes met followed by a beat of silence before getting sent into another fit of hysterical laughter.

"Okay, okay," he wheezed, wiping at his eyes and picking up the small recorder from the table.

She calmed herself as best she could, forcing herself to take a few deep breaths as he looked through the camera.

"What do you see," she asked.

"The restaurant," he said his voice dreamy, "but we're in Italy and it's one of those fancy restaurants with the white tablecloths, fancy little light centerpieces and decorated upholstered dining chairs."

She looked around the room. It wasn't hard to imagine. The restaurant in a previous life had clearly been decorated to resemble exactly that. It was the kind of place that was tailored to the elite of their society, that truly made the customers feel like they were being transported to another place. But now, the elegant white tablecloths were now gray with dust and the small lamps in the center were dark and lifeless. As she studied the table trying to imagine seeing it in Italy, something caught her attention.

A corner of the white tablecloth was pooled on the floor near her feet. It sat askew on their table pulled to one side so much that the heavy wood of the table underneath was almost showing.

That's odd, she thought. No self-respecting high end restaurant would have ever let that happen. The lamp at the center of the table had been tipped over, the bulb having shattered leaving bits of glass scattered across the table.

The ache in her belly from her laughter twisted into roiling anxiety.

She found her eyes wandering around the room studying it more closely. It was all in a similar state of disrepair. The lamps were toppled at each table, every tablecloth askew. At some of the tables, the tablecloth had been completely pulled off, leaving plates and cups smashed on the ground. Several chairs had been toppled to the ground, some resting on their backs while others were on their sides. She saw a couple of tables that had been turned completely over, their contents strewn across the floor in large, jagged pieces.

Faded artwork of rolling vineyards lined the wall accompanied by the occasional wall sconce. There was only one window in the room, and it had heavy blue drapes in front of it. One side of the curtain had been all but torn from its hooks. It hung limply, as it gave way to a gauzy curtain behind that natural light filtered through. Her heart wrenched as she worked out that last piece of the puzzle.

They must not have known about the invasion. It was only until one of those monstrosities entered the restaurant that they became aware of anything. They must have panicked while trying to escape, but by then it was too late.

This wasn't a room of the calm death that she had grown so accustomed to, but of a panicked horrified ending.

There had been no peaceful end for them. They had looked death in the face and felt the terror. She knew that feeling and she felt herself tense with fear instinctually. As much as she disliked the people that could afford places like this, she wouldn't wish that kind ending on anyone.

"Ji Hye," Ye Joon said, his voice dragging her back to the present.

"Hm," she asked.

He was pointing the video camera at her expectantly.

She forced herself to breathe out, relaxing. She wasn't with the patrons on the day of the invasion, she was with Ye Joon, and they were enjoying a beautiful meal at an upscale Italian restaurant.

Picking up the fork on the table, she pretended to stab something on the plate in front of her, ignoring the molding, half eaten food on it. She lifted the fork to her mouth, but before she could pretend to take a bite, he asked, "what are you eating?"

She stared at the fork. What was she eating? She hadn't really thought about it, instead just going through the motions. What did she want to eat right now? Something that she had only had a few times in her life, too expensive to buy unless it was a special occasion. Something light and fluffy and so at odds with how she felt.

"A macaroon," she said, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she looked fondly at the empty fork. "A pink one with strawberry icing," and it was almost as if she talked it into existence as a pink macaroon materialized in her mind sticking out from the prongs of the fork like a lollipop.

Her eyelids fluttered shut as she took a fake bite. She held back a moan of delight. It was almost as if she could taste it. The slightly crispy cookie, breaking as her teeth bit into it, the icing spilling out at the sides filled a little too full, just the way she liked it.

She opened her eyes to find Ye Joon smiling as he watched her through the small hole in the camera. She felt herself flush as she wiped at the corners of her mouth, embarrassed.

She held her hand out for the camera, "your turn."

Gently he placed the small recording device into her hand. Lifting it, she looked around the room and it was exactly as Ye Joon had described. It was as if she had been transported to Italy. The camera landed on him, and her breath caught in her throat. The glow around him was breathtaking just as it had been down in the lobby. His skin shimmered a healthy white, cheeks flushed with happiness.

"What are you eating," she asked, forcing herself to smile. But despite that her voice still came out quiet with a slight tremble, betraying the emotion she had been suddenly overwhelmed with. She had released much of the guilt weighing her down earlier, but nothing could get her used to seeing Ye Joon whole and beautiful.

Ye Joon looked at the table in front of him, now, in Ji Hye's vision, filled with pastries of all varieties. The macarons she had imagined sat atop a small three tier display tray. Croissants with chocolate drizzle sat next to slices of rolled cake on a fancy silver tray. There were cookies, cream stuffed bread, and an assortment of fruit all laid out delicately across the table. It was as if it was a scene from a movie.

"Mochi ice cream," Ye Joon said, a wide smile splitting his face, and as he reached towards the table a bowl materialized, exactly to where his hand was reaching. It was filled with a mound of tiny little balls all dusted with a coating of white, fog spilling out from the edges from the dry ice below keeping it cold. He picked one up, thumb and middle finger lifting it daintily to his mouth.

He bit into the tiny ball; lips pulled back in his heart-shaped smile as he tried to avoid getting the powdered topping all over his face. Little wrinkles formed at the bridge of his nose and corners of his eyes as he smiled at her, chewing his mochi. As she watched him, she felt warmth blossom in her heart and spread through every inch of her body.

He put down the half-eaten mochi ball and a line of white powder and melted ice cream coated one corner of his lips. She let out a little laugh as she put down the small recorder. To her shock, nothing about the room changed. It was still draped in its elegant finery. Ye Joon was still sitting there glowing with happiness, the spot of powder still on his lips.

Smiling, she stood from the table and walked over to him, his eyes sparkling under the bright light, followed her the entire way. Bending, she stood so she was almost eye level with him. She lifted her left hand and gently touched the bottom of his chin, lifting his face so he looked directly at her. With her right hand, she brushed away the powder at the corner of his downturned lips.

Without realizing, she brushed her thumb over his lower lip, transfixed. His lower lip matched the width of his upper, neither too big nor too small. There were no harsh lines to them, only soft rounded edges. The wide cupid's bow was the only thing preventing them from being a perfect oval. And she was surprised by how soft they were, and it took all her willpower to not run her thumb over them again.

She swallowed hard against there was a slight tremor to his voice.

Forcing her attention back to the powder, she brushed away the last of it and smiled up at him. His eyes had gone a shade darker as he stared back at her and underneath his smile was something she had never seen before, and it made her heart speed up.

She opened her mouth to say something, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw a dark figure moving. Ye Joon must have noticed it too, because his head whipped around at the exact same time as her.

All around them dark silhouettes began to materialize. Many sat at tables, filling them, while shadowy waiters wandered around the room carrying various trays of food and drinks. Conversation filled Ji Hye's ears, but instead of words it sounded more like muffled white noise, but it was clearly coming from the silhouettes as the sound surrounded her.

"Excuse me, but you are not allowed to be in here," a faceless figure said, approaching them. His voice was distorted with a broken English accent and despite not being able to make out his features, it was clear to her he was a part of the managerial staff.

"What?" Ji Hye asked, surprised, but there was no hiding the anger that laced the word.

Ye Joon looked at her, his brow knitted together, "what is it?"

English had never been Ye Joon's forte in school, instead choosing to spend his time on the visual arts.

Ji Hye didn't respond, instead focusing on the silhouette in front of her.

"I'm afraid this restaurant is for paying customers only," the man said, his head slightly upturned as he looked down at her. And despite having no face she could plainly see the look of disdain at her unkempt appearance, "and I doubt you could, ahem, afford this. So, I must ask you to leave. You are making some of the other guests uncomfortable."

Ji Hye let out a bark of laughter. She looked at Ye Joon, whose head swiveled between her and the waiter, clearly not understanding what was going on, but knowing it wasn't anything good.

"They're asking us to leave," she scoffed, "poor people like us can't afford a place like this, apparently." On the last word she shot a meaningful glance towards the dark figure.

Ye Joon's eyes widened in shock. Then he let out his own bark of laughter, lips pulled back in a smile of disbelief, shaking his head.

"This is totally your vision. I would never think of something like this."

She shot him a withering look, but he merely shrugged.

Turning to the waiter, he lifted the little powdery half eaten mochi ball.

"You know what I think of that idea," he asked, then tossed the mochi ball at the manager's face. It bounced harmlessly off the figure's head but left a small patch of white powder where it hit. Ji Hye could imagine the look of shock that crossed his face. It hadn't been a hard throw, but the suddenness of it must have surprised the manager enough, because all he could do was splutter out a response.

Laughter bubbled from her; this was so ridiculous. Kind, shy Ye Joon would never have done something like that in the real world. But they weren't in the real world anymore. She wasn't even sure what kind of a world they were in anymore. The hallucination of two people having long gone insane?

She didn't care. If every day could be like this one with just her and Ye Joon living out their fantasies, then sanity was overrated.

Ye Joon turned back to the table, grabbing a champagne flute that had materialized out of nowhere and downed it in one swallow. He stood and held out his hand to her, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

They were garnering attention from the other customers now. They sat there, whispering, indiscreetly throwing looks of disdain their way.

She grabbed her own champagne flute, pointedly ignoring them, and likewise, downed it one go. The carbonation of the liquid matched the bubbling butterflies in her stomach as she took his outstretched hand, smiling.

He pulled her to her feet and just as the manager made a move to put a hand on them to stop them, they darted aside. The manager made to move again, but again they stepped out of reach, laughing now.

They wove between the tables teasing the manager who slowly followed after them. His polite demeanor and need to apologize to every rich and pompous customer he passed slowed him significantly in his pursuit.

They, however, had little qualms about messing with the uptight, puffed-up patrons. Weaving between the tables, they danced to music only they could hear. Ye Joon grabbed a cookie from a passing table and shoved it into his mouth.

As one lady stood from her chair, Ji Hye smoothly slid in, taking her seat. She grabbed a chicken leg from the plate and started shaking it at the silhouetted people next to her as they waved their arms in the air in protest. Their cries of protest were nothing but muffled white noise to her ears.

Sliding into the single vacant seat across from her, Ye Joon grabbed his own drumstick and they toasted, tapping the two drumsticks together as the shadowy figures wailed in protest. But she could only laugh as she took a bite, the meat juicy and tender. Not as good as some crispy fried chicken washed down with a nice cold beer, but pretty darn close.

She grabbed the wine glass next to the plate and held it up to Ye Joon. He picked up his own glass and with another toast, they clinked their glasses together, the pale white liquid rippling as the glass let out a crystal-clear ding.

Lifting the glass to her mouth, she took a drink. The liquid was cool, but dry and tart, and she smacked her lips at the unfamiliar taste. She thought white wines were supposed to be sweet. She made a face as she put the stem back on the table.

Rich people, she thought with a roll of her eyes, but she took another huge bite of the chicken leg and conceded that maybe they weren't really that bad.

She grabbed another chicken leg from the table as they stood. And for good measure, she swiped the less than appealing wine too. Continuing through the tables, another waiter passed and tried to grab them, but Ji Hye knocked the tray from his hand sending little donuts and croissants flying across a table and onto a customer's lap.

Ye Joon knelt at the same table the little donuts had spilled on, and picked up a chocolate glazed donut that had landed upright, "you don't mind if I take this do you?"

He didn't wait for a response as he tapped his donut against the side of the man's wine glass in a cheers motion, "good man. Thanks."

He shoved the donut into his mouth, a wide grin on his face as he chewed, and she was suddenly reminded of a chipmunk with his cheeks puffed out like that and a twinkle in his eyes.

At this point, the restaurant was in an uproar. Customers were standing from their chairs yelling and waving their arms in the air. The waiter that had been pursuing them had long given up niceties, but his progress was now hindered by the mass of guests that stood and pushed towards them.

They ran through the crowd, Ji Hye gripping Ye Joon's hand tightly in both of her own as she led the way down the cluster of tables. Next to her, one of the patrons fell, tripping over his own foot in his haste to stand from the table. He knocked into a lady standing next to him and they both tumbled to the floor. Those around them turned to them in overzealous shock. Their hands clutched at their heads, some bending down to look at the fallen shadows as others threw back their heads and howled to the skies.

With every step they took, they wreaked havoc. They were like a whirlwind unleashed into the room, and as they caused the chaos, she realized she had never felt so free.

She could hear the raucous laughter of Ye Joon behind her as she let out her own boisterous laugh.

If she really thought about it, she should probably be terrified. Not only of the angry shadows flooding towards them but the fact that she was experiencing this at all. What kind of drugs was she on to imagine all this, and in such detail? This wasn't real. It was simply a figment of her imagination and if she thought about it too hard, she knew she would be plunged back into that dark, dead room, now a bigger mess than before. She didn't care if she was hallucinating or if she was on some kind of drug, she didn't want this to end and go back to that darkness.

The flood of people pushed them back towards the wall farthest from the exit. If Ye Joon and her wanted to leave they would have to get through the angry crowd who were as upset as a group of protestors at a riot. The room was filled with the cacophony of chittering and hollowing of indecipherable words. These pompous, rich people had been reduced to little more than wild animals, and Ye Joon and her were the prey.

The light of the room glowed too brightly; the colors vibrant as if someone had slid the saturation bar to the max. A warm glow radiated from Ye Joon as it always did, but this time she could actually see it, like a soft yellow haze radiating from his whole body and that warmth soaked into her making her laugh with joy.

As she stared down the mob, they began to shift just slightly, their movements becoming too unnatural to be real. Their bodies moved a beat too slowly, like they were moving through honey. Their reactions were overdone as they moved in slow motion, like a small child acting for the first time. These people were no threat.

She stared at them, the pompous, the privileged, the rich, all those that had written her off as a nuisance just because she didn't have money. The class of people she had always disliked. And they were here in front of her and now, she could truly give them a piece of her mind.

Her back hit a small table as she was pushed back. It was filled with trays and display stands of the most luxurious of desserts. There were bouquets of flowers between each set up and along the sides were balloon displays. A banner hung above the table, large letters written across it but she couldn't make out what it said, all the words as blurred and indecipherable as the shadow's words.

Placing her wine glass on the table, she reached for one of the large bouquets of flowers, plucking out a full red rose. As she pulled it out, it snagged the other flowers around it, lifting them and sending them toppling to the tabletop. The rose was generally given as a sign of love with its beauty admired around the world, but today it would be her weapon.

She spun, the stem of the rose clutched in her hand, the flower pointing menacingly at the approaching shadows, like a sword wielded against an enemy. She had finally become the protector against the poor that Ye Joon had envisioned and drawn so long ago.

She swung the rose back and forth fending off the shadow beings. Next to her, Ye Joon grabbed a small red balloon as deep red as her rose. He clutched it in one hand, holding it up like a shield.

"Ready?" She asked him, holding out her hand.

"Ready," he confirmed, taking it with his own.

They charged the shadow people.

As Ji Hye plunged into the crowd, she smacked those in her way on the head with her rose with a laugh. Behind her, Ye Joon was doing likewise. He was moving through the crowd with his red balloon raised high and bopping customers on the head at random with a carefree laugh. Flower petals fluttered to the floor as she hit shadow after shadow. Champagne flutes tumbled to the ground with a shower of glass as Ye Joon overturned a waiter's tray. She grabbed her own champagne flute from the hands of a potbellied silhouette giving him a little bop on the head with her rose in thanks. Downing it in one go, she tossed the empty flute over her shoulder, and it landed with a shatter in the shimmering graveyard of broken champagne flutes.

With a final smack of her rose, she cleared the last line of people reaching the door. Ye Joon, who was having way too much fun bopping any shadow he could reach, reluctantly followed her. The flower in her hand was little more than a stem now, the petals having all vanished into the crowd. She tossed the broken stem into the mob as they headed for the door. Ye Joon hit his small red balloon up high, so it soared into the crowd. It bounced around, hitting the customers' angry raised arms, tossing it around not unlike a beach ball at music festivals.

They ran out the door, hands still clutched tightly together. As the door closed behind them, the cacophony and life and bright lights all vanished. They were once again plunged into the darkness of the world. There was nothing to mask the haunted dreariness of it with the small recorder gone, left in the abandoned restaurant, but it didn't seem to matter anymore.

Their laughter filled the corridor, echoing off the concrete floor. As if sensing their jovial mood, the hallway seemed to grow a little brighter, appearing far less dingy than before having entered the restaurant.

"That was so much fun," Ye Joon wheezed.

"I know right? I never imagined doing anything like that in my life," she giggled.

They continue to run down the hallway, laughing and reminiscing about the events from only moments ago, when something caught her eye. She stumbled to a stop, letting go of Ye Joon's hand as she walked over to a wide storefront window.

The glass was dusty, but through it she could make out a beautiful wedding dress. Behind her, she heard Ye Joon walking around checking their surroundings. Ignoring him, she walked to the window and gently laid her hand on the glass looking at the elegant dress.

The dress seemed to glow in the darkness, the pristine untouched white fabric so at odds with its surroundings. And she was suddenly thankful for the pane of glass that separated her from the dress so it could not be soiled. The hand that rested on the glass was filthy, covered with grime and other stains that she didn't want to think about during their jaunt around the restaurant, but she couldn't help but imagine trying something as beautiful as that on.

"It would be beautiful on you," Ye Joon said, his soft voice making her jump. How long had he been standing there? He stood behind her, not quite touching her, but close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from him. It took all her willpower to not close her eyes and lean back into him.

"I could never wear something as elegant as this."

"Of course you can. And I think you should. Right now," his voice was soft and gentle, but firm and she knew there would be no arguing with him.

"Right now?" She asked.

"Yes. I mean when else would you be able to try on something like this?" The unspoken meaning hung in the air. "When else," he was right of course. There might not be a future to wait for. Every day, every breath could be her last. She always saw herself getting married eventually, when she had finally made something of herself and could try on one of these dresses and not see a fraud. But now there was no guarantee of an "eventually."

"Okay," she said, and her voice was barely audible to her own ears.

Gently, he reached down and took her hand, their fingers wrapping tightly around each other as he pulled her towards the entrance.