Dahyun

The cold nipped at my nose and cheeks, leaving them a rosy hue. Each puff of air I exhaled danced around in a ghostly white mist. The bare branches of the once colorful plum tree rattled like clean rabbit bones in the winter wind. 

My fingers were numb, a biting pink from the chill, but I continued cutting cloud shapes from white paper. I could have easily gone inside and warmed up, but the rhythmic snip of the scissors was soothing in the serene quiet of the day.

That was when Minji emerged from the cottage, a steaming mug cradled in her hands. "Dahyun! Come on inside! It's too cold!" she chided, and I couldn't argue. I packed my things and followed her inside.

Later that night, Minji and I found ourselves sitting beside a roaring fireplace, the soft, warm glow from the flames painting the room in hues of gold and orange. It was cozy and comforting. On the coffee table was the tablet playing an origami tutorial. I had always been good with my hands, and my folds and creases were near flawless. Minji, on the other hand, struggled a bit, her creations crooked and crude, and they barely looked like what they were supposed to. We laughed and giggled, our small, shared space filled with joy and contentment.

I wore my signature wide smile, something that had become more scarce lately, but I decided to bring back to ease Minj and Papa who were constantly watching me. Papa never came to visit me since we parted at the Gate, but I sensed his ever looming presence constantly, almost as if his eyes were physically glued to my bare body. I had to make my outward appearance as innocent as possible to hide my burning distaste within.

Much later, once Minji had drifted off to sleep, I found myself back at my desk, the moonlight streaming through the window my only source of illumination. I was deep in concentration, methodically folding paper into rectangular shapes.

Beside me was a pile of spent tape rolls. I used the last bit to secure a corner of my fold, and I let out a quiet sigh. I was done. I patted my sketchbook, which was almost empty. Most of the pages had been torn out. 

Baek

The metallic echo of Siwoo's voice rippled through my barren bedroom. "You're going to be leaving in a few days." The statement was cold, distant, with a slight tone of victory. Siwoo, standing awkwardly in the corner, was nothing more than a dark, indistinct silhouette against the monochrome of my existence.

His attempt at drawing out my feelings was as clumsy as it was redundant. I thought it to be childish of him, but he continued anyway. 

“How are you feeling? Happy? Or Sad?” He questioned.

“There are more emotions than that, Siwoo.”

“I’m surprised you knew that.”

“I’m surprised you knew that too.”

That seemed to irk him. I could almost see him physically unraveling. This brilliant man with his incomparable mind was standing in the dark corner of my cell-like room. 

“I love Dahyun. And she loved me,” Siwoo declared. 

“Hah.” 

His audacious proclamation that his daughter loved him was more of a revelation of his delusions. It’s almost laughable.

“She hates you,” I replied.

"Remember your place." 

"You trapped her. Manipulated her. Lied to her."

Each word was a jab at his so-called protection of Dahyun, a girl he claimed to love. But his love was a cage. His love was an unending nightmare of isolation. 

“I AM PROTECTING HER!” Siwoo screamed, towering over me. I stayed seated on the bed, unflinching at his emotional explosion.

“How? You saw what she did. She’s no safer in here than in the real world.”

“That’s your fault!” Siwoo snarled, jabbing his finger in my chest, “You failed to protect her. You were made to protect her!”

“I am protecting her. I’m protecting her from you.”

Siwoo’s response was a bitter laugh. He ran his boney hand through his wiry gray hair. “Good luck with that, Baek. I would ship you out today if I could.” He paced towards the steel door and pulled it open with what little strength he had. Before leaving however, he looked back and smiled. “Oh, and Dahyun will learn to love me. Because I am human. Unlike you.”

Dahyun

The morning light was casting long, playful shadows around the bedroom. It seemed to dance in rhythm with the familiar melody of kitchen sounds that filled the air, a domestic symphony I now scorned, but I couldn’t be distracted. I was engaged in a task that required utmost care and discretion: stuffing a stack of envelopes into a leather pouch that would soon be hidden beneath the layers of my winter jacket.

A voice, Minji's, reached my ears from the kitchen, "Dahyun? Breakfast's almost ready!" I quickly responded, a pleasant "Okay!" escaping my lips as I securely fastened the pouch around my waist. There was a quick glance around the bedroom, my eyes tracing the outlines of old artwork and paintings taped to the bedroom walls. But there was no time to dwell on those now. They were merely echoes of my past creativity. I quickly pocketed my knife, an old dishrag, a piece of flint for good luck, and made my way out.

Upon entering the living room, the smell of frying eggs embraced me, a welcome that was as comforting as it was mouth-watering. Minji noticed my outdoor attire, her eyebrows furrowing slightly in concern, "Dahyun? Where are you going?"

My fingers worked their way into the loops of my shoes, securing them as I explained, "Oh, I’m going on my morning walk." Minji's worry was palpable as she pointed out, "It’s very cold." I patted my thick, warm jacket and flashed her a reassuring smile. "It’s okay! I’m super warm."

Her eyes still held a hint of concern but she relented. "Okay... just get home quickly. I don’t want your breakfast getting cold." I nodded, affirming her request, "I will!" The door closed behind me, muffling the grating sounds of home, as I stepped out into the crisp morning air.

Underneath the plum tree, I stood, gazing up at its bare branches as they trembled slightly in the winter chill. The sight felt poignantly symbolic, a stark contrast to the lush, vibrant tree it used to be during spring. Breathing in the crisp, cold air, I set off into the woods, a determined rhythm in my steps. I felt the watchful gaze of Minji from the cottage window and the presence of a small rabbit trailing behind me.

The woods were beautiful, blanketed by the untouched purity of snow. Every tree, every leaf shimmered with an ethereal glow, softened by the sunlight seeping through the forest's canopy. It began to snow lightly, the delicate flakes descending onto the pristine terrain. I waded through the untouched snow, with the rabbit still faithfully following.

I eventually reached a stream, its waters miraculously resistant to the freezing temperature. Kneeling down, I cupped the cool water in my hands and took a sip. I felt the freezing liquid as it traversed down my throat, numbing my body from the inside. I glanced back, finding the rabbit staring at me. My lips curled into a smile and I waved, pulling a funny face that got a twitch from the rabbit’s ear.

I continued my journey, following the stream towards the Gate. I didn’t want to get too close, but I also didn’t want to end up too far. During my many hikes into the woods, I had managed to find the perfect spot. 

Climbing over roots and rocks, and occasionally getting splashed by the cold stream water, I finally found my landmark, a large rock resting against the stream bed, not far from where we had laid the trap for the buck. I plopped onto the rock and caught my breath. The cold air really does a number on your stamina, huh? I looked up and gazed at the rabbit that was still with me, then I turned my attention up at the trees.

"You know, I always felt like this place was weird," I addressed the rabbit, pouring out my thoughts, "I always wondered why it was only me and Baek. But I was a kid, and I didn’t want to question it."

The rabbit was my only audience, its small nose twitching as it listened to my words. I wiped some snot that was dripping out of my flushed nose with my jacket sleeve. My confessions echoed in the quiet forest, absorbed by the snowy silence.

"I was happy," I continued, my gaze unfocused as I delved into the recesses of my past. "Baek was my best friend, and I..." My voice trailed off, my heart heavy with unsaid words.

"I didn’t know why I felt so angry," I confessed, my eyes watering from the cold air. I slowly rolled up my right pant leg, exposing my shin to the cold. "It’s not like you’re 'evil' or whatever. You never hurt me. You fed me, kept me safe... so why am I doing this?"

I pulled out a rag from my pocket, tying it securely just below my knee. I thought about the childhood I never had—the friends I never made, the food I never tasted.

"You took away my normal childhood," I accused, my words targeted at an absent figure. Turning to the rabbit, I looked straight into its beady eyes. "Papa, you weren’t the one protecting me. Baek was. You were never there for me. Baek was."

Tightening the rag around my leg, I pulled out the knife from my pocket. It was long and sharp, but not long enough. It would be messy. "And now you took Baek away from me. Baek was my best friend, and I... love him." The confession lingered in the cold air, my heart aching with the sincerity of it.

I unsheathed the knife, its blade gleaming ominously in the wintry sunlight. My grip tightened around the handle, and I brought it down on my own leg. The white purity of the snow was shattered by the sudden splash of red. The blade didn’t make it all the way through, lodged deep into bone. I adjusted my grip, yanked it out, and swung again.

“Ack!” A cry escaped me. Tears ran down my face and froze on my cheeks. Looked over at the rabbit; it stood watching me. With a pained expression, I stared into the creature’s eyes. And behind it, almost hidden in the shadowy contours of the rabbit’s face, a camera lens stared back.