If Silk Flowers Bloom by the Water’s Edge Chapter 45

Had you ever imagined walking in the darkness? If you were abandoned alone in a black abyss, it would be better to recall sad memories or think about the day you would die. But for today’s Yirok, many things were different because he had the young lady, who could be called a source of positivity.

Chaehwa said they were having a lesson, but she didn’t specifically teach or force anything upon him. She just walked alongside him in his mind, having received permission to enter.

Even though it was already their fourth session, there had been no progress. Yesterday, the lesson was even postponed for a day due to Chaehwa’s personal circumstances. They were spending time without achieving any outcome, but neither of them felt any sense of urgency. Just sitting in the dark, holding one string, and listening to music was an example of this. They were sharing their music tastes amicably, without any worry that they might end without changing the abyss.

“It’s good, isn’t it? This is the new song that just came out.”

Yirok, sharing one side of the earphone, nodded quietly without speaking. He liked that the lyrics were in English, so they weren’t immediately understandable. Didn’t that leave room for imagination? Besides, it was embarrassing to admit, but this was Yirok’s first time formally listening to a singer’s music. The experience of matching the singer’s name, the title, and the lyrics was very new to him.

At first, he was surprised that Chaehwa, having entered his abyss, could freely take out and use her phone and earphones. Chaehwa then said that if you thought of an object you wanted, you could usually use it in the abyss.

“This is a space of the mind. I can bring in objects whenever I want.”

It was one of the methods Chaehwa devised to become familiar with the abyss. It was something they had started with the thought that maybe the rejection of the abyss had summoned the Japkwi.

The feeling of sitting at the edge of darkness and listening to emotional music was neither good nor bad. It was unexpected that Chaehwa had good taste in music. The cheerful rhythm of the music she chose captivated his preferences. Why was this thing, which started as a lesson, testing him so much?

“Yirok.”

“Yes.”

“You take out your phone too.”

“…How do I do that.”

“Just think of the image clearly and put your hand in the place where the object would be.”

Listening to the soft voice of the female singer, Yirok put his hand into his pocket. It shouldn’t work. But something square was felt in the pocket where he had half-doubtfully put his hand. Yirok slowly took out what was in his pocket. Both their expressions were identical when they saw the phone.

Chaehwa’s stinging hand, smiling brightly, slapped Yirok’s back.

“See? You’re a fast learner, our Yirok.”

“That’s gross… Don’t talk like my mom.”

“Oh? Your mother must have spoken like that? Saying, ‘our Yirok,’ and such.”

He used to become sharp whenever the topic of his deceased parents came up, and couldn’t bear not to bite back at the person. But Yirok just fiddled with the phone he had summoned, like a tiger with its teeth pulled out. When the screen lit up, Chaehwa went back to her spot. And quickly, a tap, tap, tap sound of something being typed came through the earphones.

「Guess what」

At the trembling vibration, Yirok looked at his phone. He understood exchanging texts in reality, but he didn’t know it was possible even in the abyss. Chaehwa read Yirok’s confused expression and sent the next text.

「This is Yirok’s space of mind. Anything you want, anything you permit, is possible. Since you permitted me, dialogue in the form of texting is also possible~ Got it?」

He could have just read it and not replied. But Yirok only half-understood that this was also one way of communicating, and it was possible because he had allowed it. Conscious of the hand holding the string, Yirok tapped the phone keypad.

「Then what else is possible? What’s impossible」

Yirok, who had sent a text only about the training, glanced to the side. He was worried she might be disappointed that it wasn’t the kind of message she wanted. But Chaehwa’s smile and reply speed doubled in brightness and quickness.

「I finally got a reply!!!!!!!!!! Don’t ignore me in the future, replyyyy Got it? Got it? Got it?」

Yirok bit his lip at the noisy content, even when read as a text. Erasing the smile that momentarily appeared was the most difficult thing in the world. Especially when the person was right next to him. After recovering their expressions to some extent, Yirok and Chaehwa met eyes.

The pitch-black space actually made them concentrate on the other’s gaze, breathing, and scent. In a place so detached from the world that anything could be justified, the two of them read each other’s thoughts.

“Yirok. Shall we leave now.”

One, two, three. When Chaehwa finished counting, the two of them let go of the string they were holding. Yirok, who had gotten used to the phenomenon like turning off a light in his head, forgot how to breathe at the sight the moment he opened his eyes.

Chaehwa, who was slumped over the table, was looking at him with a smile in her eyes. His head told him to look away, and his heart told him to watch more, and the indecisive Yirok couldn’t do both at once.

“You escape well. You’re a total model student, Yirok.”

“…Can’t you tell by looking at class time? You’re dozing off, and I’m taking notes.”

“I couldn’t understand anything in today’s class either. I don’t want to study. I’d be confident if it was a subject like Chinese character study, though.”

Chaehwa grumbled and neatly folded the string, putting it back into the box. The special lesson was over. It wouldn’t be strange if he got up and went back to the dormitory. But after some contemplation, Yirok parted his lips.

“Take it out.”

“Huh? The string? I’m too tired today….”

“Not that. The homework we got today.”

Chaehwa, who had been tilting her head as if she didn’t understand, hastily unpacked her class bundle. Placing the math book that came out onto the table, the two of them leaned in close enough to touch heads. It was a fact that neither of them was aware of. Their two gazes were focused on the math book, which was clean without any pencil marks.

“Try solving problem number 1 first.”

“Uh… wouldn’t there be a hint or something.”

“Substitute ‘2’ for ‘x’.”

“Uh….”

Looking around nervously, Chaehwa wrote ‘x’ and ‘2’ side by side with her pencil. Yirok, who was seriously watching the numbers being written by the pencil, was flustered because Chaehwa didn’t go any further. Chaehwa’s face, sweating profusely, looked inexplicably mournful. Yirok cautiously asked, just in case.

“Substitute… it.”

“Well, you, uh, Yirok, can’t you show me how?”

“You’re not asking because you don’t know what ‘substitute’ means, are you, seriously.”

Chaehwa, who soared in the sky when explaining the abyss or Yogwi, was now worse than an earthworm crawling on the ground. With a look of wounded pride, Chaehwa put the pencil down with a clack.

“You’re an underachiever Haenang too. I’m an underachiever in math.”

“Ha….”

“Forget it. Let’s do another subject.”

Because of Chaehwa, who hurriedly closed the math workbook, Yirok felt his throat parch. He stretched out his hand and playfully grabbed Chaehwa’s wrist as she was about to put the math book away. Surprised, Chaehwa stopped her movement and looked back at him.

“Bring it back. Again.”

“Why, why. I’m also weak in… history.”

Yirok tilted his chin, meaning for her to bring it back without any more nonsense. Chaehwa hesitated and put the math book back on the table. Yirok grabbed Chaehwa’s pencil and went back to page 4, not page 71, starting with the concept explanation.

“You know how to multiply, right.”

“Of course.”

“Understanding the concept isn’t difficult. If you look at this box here….”

Chaehwa, whose expression had been dark as if listening half-heartedly, gradually paid attention to the not-difficult explanation. As evidence, her head, adorned with a butterfly hairpin, tilted and swayed on his shoulder. Focused on the numbers and the words, Yirok momentarily forgot where the good scent was coming from.

“’Substituting’ means changing the ‘x’ to the number ‘2’ and putting it in. Do you understand?”

“Oh! Ah… so that’s why your face looked like you saw a dead person. Because I didn’t know something this easy.”

“Then try it.”

“Look. If I put ‘4’ into ‘y’. It practically becomes ‘8 minus 4’, right? Right?”

“That’s right.”

Chaehwa smiled brightly, looking at Yirok as if asking for praise. She had only just approached problem number 1, yet Chaehwa looked like she had solved everything. Yirok couldn’t deny the fact that this was both absurd and a little cute.

“Alright, alright. Now let’s move on to problem number 2.”

“We’re still on number 1.”

“Can’t you just keep telling me the answers? You’re good at it. And just do my homework for today too. Huh? Huh?”

As she clung to his arm, whining about how tired she was, Yirok shook his head. That wasn’t directed at Chaehwa, but at himself, who was wavering. He lightly pushed Chaehwa’s forehead with his finger as she kept acting up. Although it couldn’t have hurt, Chaehwa dramatically covered her forehead with her hand. While he was bickering with Chaehwa, who claimed her brain cells were dead and she couldn’t do any more homework, the study room door quietly opened.

Yeonrye had prepared garaetteok with honey, which the young lady liked, and two bowls of sujeonggwa, just in case. Yeonrye, who had intended to make sure Yirok ate with them too, held her breath at the sound of their bickering.

“Your teacher knows your level. Don’t try to be clever, solve it yourself. You’ll just bring your front teeth to me again if you get embarrassed.”

“What’s wrong with my front teeth? They’re totally cute and the perfect size.”

“I wasn’t talking about your front teeth…. Never mind. Focus on problem number 1 again.”

“What do you mean, never mind? What’s wrong with my front teeth!”

Just by listening to them talk, they sounded like sworn enemies. But the expressions of the two people Yeonrye watched were like the sunshine of a spring day. Laughter and eyes that were only clear and pure, without a speck of malice toward each other.

As Yeonrye quietly slipped out, leaving the tray she had brought outside the study room, the two of them didn’t notice at all.

Even when the sun set and the moon rose, conversation flowed constantly from the study room with the world map. It was a noisier and friendlier night than any other.