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natasha-in-space · 5 months

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Chain of Memories

Chapter 2 of A Wilted Daffodil.

Rika/cmc Chaewon Lee.

In the aftermath of Sally's passing, Chaewon finds herself learning a bit more about Rika's past, as well as finding something in common with her lively cousin. What started out as a shared discussion about an old photo ends up as a recounting of the first meeting that turned her life around.

A Wilted Daffodil: Ch.1, Ch. 2 (you are here!)

AO3 Link

It has been two weeks since Sally's unfortunate passing. Things were feeling... bleak, to say the least. Chaewon had to suffer through a long disciplinary lecture the morning after her reckless stunt of leaving her nursing post without a single care in the world. For the first time in a while, she didn't have a single thing to say in rebuttal: she just listened with her head hung low. After all, she really did act selfish and dangerously irresponsible, there was no doubt about it. She knew that. But, did she care, actually? No, not really. She just felt embarrassed over making a reckless fool out of herself in front of her colleagues like that. Lord knows she did not need any annoying gossip following her around. Still, she was reasonable enough to apologize and agree to any disciplinary action that would be taken against her. She was lucky enough to still have her job intact after causing such a huge mess. She wasn't about to start a ruckus over her ego getting hurt.

From then on, she would visit Jihyun's place once or twice a week to check in on Rika and offer her some support, even if it was clumsy and awkward.

She just couldn't stay away. Rika has stopped communicating with her as much as she did before this whole tragedy struck, and she couldn't really blame her friend for that. Aside from a couple of short messages every few days, Rika wouldn't talk much. To anyone, really, not just Chaewon. It was worrying. Even in person, it felt like Rika had all life sucked out of her: her green eyes dull and grief-stricken as they would look downwards, not meeting her gaze even once as they talked. Or, more accurately, as Chaewon would go through awkward one-sided monologs, since Rika would barely respond or even listen to anything being said to her, it seemed. It hurt to see her friend so overcome with her own grief like that, and being unable to do anything to ease her sorrow at least a little bit. It felt as if Rika wasn't even fully there, lost in her own head and thoughts. She doubted any of those thoughts were all that positive to begin with, which worried her greatly.

Chaewon sensed that Jihyun was also feeling some of Rika's pain. He seemed to share her feelings of hopelessness, but she had also noticed a tense aura of anxiety surrounding him as of late: his hands nervously wriggling together and his mint locks looking more messier than they usually did, giving him an unusually disheveled appearance. She could have sworn there were some bags under his eyes as well.

She lacked the mental fortitude to bring it up with him, though. Besides, he had Jumin for that.

Chaewon let out a heavy sigh as she was sorting through the many school books stacked on this one shelf, far too small for such a large number of things to be stored on it efficiently. Looking for a specific pair of notes in such a cramped mess was an irritating task, to say the least. Honestly, this reminded her of her own university days, and how disorganized it felt to step foot into her dorm room. Then again, that was probably just the result of her messy nature: her room was always a completely chaotic mess.

Rika would always pester her about that...

She shook that memory off with a single huff.

Helping Yoosung with his midterms in school wasn't her plan for the weekend, but she wouldn't deny that she desperately needed a distraction from all the doom and gloom that has been happening lately. His graduation was coming up closer and closer with every day, so he was as determined as ever to get good grades and get accepted into a prestigious university. Thanks to Rika's support and motivation, no doubt. While she wouldn't say that she and Rika's cousin were friends per se, they were on good enough terms to keep in contact with one another casually. The boy didn't seem to share that sentiment, though, as he would address her as a friend of his enough times for her to get the gist.

Maybe she just wasn't good at making friends. A pretty bad trait to have for a woman in her late twenties. Before she could get any further into the self-deprecating jokes, though, she finally managed to pinpoint the much-needed biology worksheets, stashed crudely in between a few other textbooks in the corner.

God, this shelf was a mess.

"Finally... Hey, I think I found the-"

Chaewon paused as a couple of photos slipped off the cramped shelf and landed on the floor of the apartment. Thankfully, it looked like nothing else was planning on tumbling down from there. For now. She definitely had no desire whatsoever to clean up a potential mess of school books and paperwork. With an annoyed click of her tongue, the she promptly kneeled down to pick up the fallen photos, inadvertently glancing over the contents of them. This made her stop, though, a thoughtful look crossing over her face. These seemed to be photos of Yoosung and Rika together... a few years back, maybe? She would guess these were taken at some charity event... or volunteer center. It kind of made her heart ache to see the bright smiles on the two cousins' faces, especially Rika's.

But... was that smile of hers truly as genuine and bright as it looked in these photos?

...What a strange thought.

"What's up? Did you find them?"

The young man's voice pulled Chaewon out of her momentary trance, as she quickly realized that she was still in her crouching position, completely transfixed on the two photos now resting in her hands. She quickly shook her head, getting back up and dusting herself off, before handing Yoosung her findings. "When was this? You look pretty young."

Since she wasn't able to concentrate on schoolwork, she decided to go ahead and ask.

Yoosung's eyes widened slighly as he gazed at the two photos, recognition flashing on his face. He took the pictures from her, looking over them with a wistful look in his eyes. These must have brought up some memories for him. "Oh... This is... From middle school, I think. Back when I was just getting to know Rika."

"Wait- Middle school? I thought you two knew each other early on. Aren't you two family?" Chaewon raised her brows, a bit puzzled to hear that. Yoosung and Rika were so close that she just automatically assumed they had grown up together as cousins do. Of course, she did know that Yoosung and Rika weren't related by blood, but... still, it felt confusing to hear this new information.

Yoosung shook his head, sat down on his bed and patted down the area next to him, inviting her to sit down as well. She accepted, looking back down at the photo he was holding in his hands with newfound interest.

"No, I first met her when I was in 6th grade, actually. At a family diner."

"Huh. Didn’t expect that." Chaewon noted in a deadpan voice, shaking her head a little.

Yoosung chuckled and shook his head a little before continuing. "Would you believe me if I told you I went to her only because I needed to satisfy my school's volunteering requirements? My mom kind of forced me into meeting her, to be completely honest."

Chaewon was in a state of shock as her mouth fell open. This was so drastically different from what she expected. With the way Yoosung admired his cousin, she had a hard time picturing him being reluctant to spend time with her at all. "No way."

"Surprising, isn't it?" He chuckled, nodding in the understanding at her baffled reaction. As he gazed at the photo in his hand, tracing a delicate finger over it, his smile became more wistful. "I was in it for the volunteering requirements at first... But, she made me see it in a completely different way. I always viewed it all as pointless time waste pushed on us students by the school board, but... she made me feel proud of myself, for the first time in a while. Like what I did had meaning."

Chaewon swallowed, feeling a familiar flutter in her chest. The butterflies were as stubborn as they were cruel: scratching at her ribcage with their wings and demanding to be set free. She pushed it all down, as she always did. "...I know how that feels."

"You know, you never told me of how you and Rika first met either. I know you two met in the hospital you work in, but... Now I'm curious to hear the full story!" The young man chirped, looking up at her expectedly. Yoosung really reminded her of her younger brother at times. Chaewon sighed, running a hand through her dark locks absentmindedly. She usually wasn't one for sharing bits of her personal life like this, but... He did just told her what she wanted to know. The least she could do was repay the favor.

Her shoulders were squared. "Alright, fair enough. It was... untraditional, to say the least."

･˳ . ⋆ .˳⁺⁎˚ ⋆･˳ . ⋆ .˳⁺⁎˚ ⋆･˳ . ⋆ .˳⁺⁎˚ ⋆･˳ . ⋆ .˳⁺⁎˚ ⋆･˳ .

Chaewon was seated at her brand new nursing post, sipping at her mediocre cup of coffee leisurely and taking in the surroundings of the hospital that had become her new home now. The ungodly hours she was assigned to work for the next week or so definitely made it feel that way. Then again, maybe she was being a bit too harsh and spoiled, but she couldn't help how she felt. At least her parents were proud of her for snatching a stable and well-paying job... But, unfortunately, that's where the pros would end.

Not like she had any right to complain when she was the one who ended up pursuing this career path for herself out of nothing but resignation. At the very least, this hospital had a gym that was pretty usable. She hoped she'd be able to get some exercise done in between her duties. That would help keep her mind off all this self-pity crap.

She heaved a deep breath and takes another sip, relishing in the bitterness the coffee creates as it races down her throat. Drinking on the job would be pretty irresponsible, so lukewarm coffee from the nearest break room will have to do. Although she would have really liked to go for some whiskey right now. While she was not much of a drinker usually, sometimes it's the only way to feel a little bit better. Or, rather, the only way to dull out all the negative thoughts buzzing around in her head.

Pretty pathetic, if you ask her.

She knew it was just a distraction. Barely a solution. She was too uninterested to take any action in her situation. So, temporary distractions will have to do for now.

Chaewon was seriously contemplating whether or not she should try to hide away in the break room when she felt the air change. The small gust of wind that always followed the opening of the door into the hall was probably the reason. She could see a small group of visitors further down the hall, steadily approaching the nursing post. Probably loved ones of the patients on this floor... And, it looks like some of them have already forgotten to leave their coats in the checking room. Or didn't care to. Great.

Pursing her lips, she surveyed the small group of people, quickly taking note of everyone's mood and appearance. It was a natural thing to do. It's important to mentally prepare for a social interaction before engaging in it.

That is, until her gaze stopped on a short, blond haired woman, staring back at her with a pair of piercing green eyes that were oddly hard to look away from.

The world around her seemed to fade away as the young woman's appearance takes her breath away. The thoughts that had been swirling around in her head for hours now seemed a hundred light years away...

Oh, God, she's staring, isn't she? This definitely doesn't look good. Shaking off the momentary daze, she quickly redirected her gaze to the first thing that catches her attention at her desk: which are some reports she has been procrastinating on for a few hours now.

Chaewon wasn't a stranger to momentary attraction, but she’d prefer to stay away from those kinds of things right now. Wouldn't be a good look to get distracted by a pretty stranger on her first day on the job.

That girl is certainly breathtaking, there's no doubt about it. It was hard not to feel drawn to her when the light from the window framed her gorgeous golden locks in such a way, that it almost looked as if they were glowing. But there also seemed to be a bit of something else to her. Something Chaewon couldn't quite put her finger on. That stranger is intriguing and her looks certainly got her spine tingling, but more than that, she found herself wanting to get to know her… Maybe, just as a friend.

-And such a thought was alarming.

Chaewon was okay with physical attraction. The whole: 'sleeping with someone just to get it out of her system' thing. She was content to let some of the women in her life go without knowing their names, even though it was uncommon for such a thing to happen. Because learning someone's name means asking about them as a person, and asking about them as a person means getting emotionally involved, and she had no interest in that for any reason whatsoever. Not with her life being a complete wreck right now.

So, she ignores it all and lets everything else come rushing back at her at once. The blinding hospital lights, the distant chatter of the visitors, the bitter taste of coffee on her tongue, and it feels as if her every sense is being assaulted by something unpleasant once again. Despite only being thirty seconds long, the encounter between her and the mysterious woman felt much longer.

Thankfully, just as she was about to have a small mental crisis, she felt one of her colleagues take a seat next to her. It was a perfect opportunity for escape before she did something stupid. She stood up abruptly, grabbed her half-empty coffee cup, and sweeped by before she could be stopped.

"I need to go to the break room. It's urgent."

Lying came easily to her, almost embarrassingly so. Her colleague's protests were ignored as she hurriedly stomped through the corridor, her eyes cast low. She needed to clear her head.

However, maybe she should have paid better attention to her surroundings - a fact she quickly got reminded of once she felt herself bump into something. Or, rather, someone. Someone who had a cute gasp and a perfume that was sickeningly sweet.

"Oh-!"

Acting on instinct alone, Chaewon quickly steadyed the shorter stranger by the shoulders, her eyes widening once she was met with the same rich green color that stole her breath moments prior. And an ugly blotch of black that was slowly forming on the woman's light dress.

...Did she seriously just spill coffee on the same girl she got interested in, almost tripping her in the process? She was unsure if she should laugh or cry.

"Shit- I am so sorry! Are you alright, miss...?" Awkward apologies quickly tumbled out of her mouth, her hands shaking a little as she felt her heart start to race: partially from the mortifying circumstances of it all, and partially due to her embarrassing attraction to this stranger. It was good that her coffee was only lukewarm, so she didn't have to worry about burning the woman. Only ruining her dress. Just slightly less humiliating.

The stranger laughed, taking a couple of steps back as she looked down at her now stained dress, waving off Chaewon's nervous chatter with a polite smile. A much more subdued reaction than what she would have expected, honestly. "Ah... No, please, don't worry! I'm alright. It's my fault for being too absentmind anyways."

Chaewon blinked, astonished by the kind-hearted response. She had every right to get upset, or angry, and she just... took the blame instead? Some part of her wanted to scold this stranger for being so dangerously altruistic. Of course, she bit her tongue at such a thought. Instead, she shook her head, taking a step forward. "I'm a nurse. It's my responsibility to be aware of my surroundings and be mindful of everyone's safety in this hospital. I could gave seriously hurt you, and that isn't right. Please, let me make it up to you. At least let me buy you something at the cafeteria."

Wait, what the hell did she just say...?

"Ah... Would that be alright for you to do on a job though?"

Of course not. Chaewon could already hear her colleagues giving her a piece of their minds when she returns to her post. As she rightfully deserves.

"-I was just about to go on a break, actually. Please, it's the least I could do."

･˳ . ⋆ .˳⁺⁎˚ ⋆･˳ . ⋆ .˳⁺⁎˚ ⋆･˳ . ⋆ .˳⁺⁎˚ ⋆･˳ . ⋆ .˳⁺⁎˚ ⋆･˳ .

So, that's how she found herself engrossed in a long conversation with this charming stranger over a cup of coffee. Not the cheap cupboard-like parody she was forcing herself to gulp down minutes prior, but a proper and rich drink that made your belly buzz with the pleasant warmth. Was she just trying to impress her new acquaintance? Maybe. Either way, she did feel genuine remorse for knocking into her so unceremoniously, so treating her to a tasty drink was the least she could do.

Rika - which, as she learned, was the young woman's name - turned out to be a sweet and somewhat witty individual. Though, at certain times, Chaewon felt like she was holding back a little. On what, she wasn't sure entirely, nor was she one to pry. She could only guess this from the rather distant glint in her eyes that would appear from time to time. Rika was good with conversation too, quickly impressing Chaewon with her vast knowledge of a whole lot of different subjects. She refused to talk about her reason for being at this hospital, though, and that was okay with Chaewon, too. It wasn't her business. But, it did make her chest ache a bit to wonder whether or not the subject was a painful one. Rika seemed like such a lovely and kindhearted person... too good to have to go through something like grief and loss.

She sure grew attached to this new stranger quickly. Before she knew it, she found herself opening up all about her frustrations with her current situation, finding it so easy to just spill her heart out to this person, who was technically still just a stranger to her.

"So, you don't find what you do in life fulfilling... Yet, I can see that you have a passionate heart. It's like there is a fire burning in your eyes, no matter how much you try to turn your back on it. There is something you want to do, isn't there?" Rika's voice was soft and welcoming. Despite being strange, her words are thought-provoking. It's like she could see things not even Chaewon herself was aware of, and such a thought made her breath hitch.

It was both scary and alluring.

She looked down, her brows furrowed a little. "...Perhaps there is. But, it's not a path I can follow anymore. I have to make do with what I have."

"You are a loyal person. I admire that." Rika hummed, her golden locks falling over her shoulder like little rays of sunlight streaming through the window. It was a challenge not to stare. "Perhaps, you feel like you lack purpose because you don't think that your actions have any effect on those around you. You feel like you lack any worth to the world, so you decide to condemn your own passions instead."

"That... sounds kind of complicated."

Rika giggles and nods in agreement. Her finger traces the brims of her cup delicately as she explains her thoughts further. "All our pain and suffering arises from the fear of not being loved. And all of our happiness comes from us being recognized in the eyes of others, being loved and perceived by others as we truly are. So, when we find ourselves stuck in a situation where our heart longs to be recognized, yet our circumstances keep us isolated... It becomes painful."

"Well, I wouldn't say I am unloved... My family loves me, I have a few people I can go out for drinks with on weekends, and I don't have to worry about money. Many have it far worse than me. I'm just... whining about not liking my job is all." Chaewon stated, sipping at her coffee in thought. The way Rika was talking was... unusual. Intriguing. Her mind was filled with thoughts and questions she had never even contemplated before.

"But, does your soul feels like it is loved?"

Chaewon can only reply in silence, staring down at her own reflection on the cafeteria table. The answer came to her mind immediately, but she couldn't voice it. Instead, she said something else that was on her mind as well.

"...Does yours?"

As she raised her eyes back up at Rika's face, she sees a look of surprise flickering over her soft features, her hand freezing where it was tapping against the coffee cup moments prior. They are both silent now, just staring at one another in a strange moment of uncertainty. The quiet sound of Rika's phone notification shook up this brief interaction, prompting her to stand up and gather her things. Chaewon suddenly felt her warm hand suddenly pressing against her shoulder.

"Well, it was lovely getting to meet you, Chaewon. You are a very passionate person with a devoted heart, even if you don’t think so. I wish you'll find what your soul is searching for."

Before she realizes it, she's following Rika's footsteps out of the cafeteria, once her brain catches up with her body.

"Wait- Rika!" Chaewon called out to her, making her stop right at the door as she turns to her face, her eyes wide with surprise. Oddly enough, she didn't feel all that embarrassed about making a ruckus. She just speeds up her pace until she is a step away from her. Once again, acting on impulse alone, she placed her hand on Rika's shoulder and squeezes, repeating the same action that she just did to her herself.

"Listen, I don't know you, and you don't know me. I know that. But, I... I had a really good time talking with you today, despite how... awkward our first encounter turned out. Point is... you intrigue me, and now I want to get to know you better. All we did was talk about me, and... I'd like to repay the favor. If... If you'd allow me." She mumbles Rika, the words rushing out her mouth on a whim. She’d never prompted for a second meeting with someone herself before... but, the idea of never seeing her again was, honestly, quite daunting. Her desire was to learn more and gain insight into her inner world, even if it was only for a brief moment.

So, she took a leap of faith.

Chaewon observes her searching her face for a brief moment - she was unsure of what she was looking for, but she held her gaze firm, planted her feet on the ground, and refused to give up. And then, Rika smiles, placing her soft hand atop of hers that was on her upper arm, the touch sending her heart fluttering.

"You shouldn't want to get to know more about me, Chaewon... But, I admit, you... intrigue me, too. I would love a chance to see you again. How about I give you my number?"

"That would be perfect."

#mystic messenger #mysmes #mysme #mm #rika kim #kim rika #mystic messenger rika #rika x oc #oc chaewon lee #rika x chaewon #yoosung kim #IT'S FINALLY DONE #yipee yipee #self indulgent cmc writing my beloved #gonna finally update my ao3 once i rest a bit - i've been seriously slacking on it 💀#anyway this was based off of a chat you have with yoosung in his route and a few vn's during v's route and christmas dlc!#more x reader writings will be coming soon! lots of wip's waiting for me to finally get back to them #but for now #it's silly oc stories for me ;)

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