Chapter Text
A beautiful blonde girl, an intelligent person who’s always on the top of her grade, a very persuasive speaker, her school’s president—these are how some people who don’t know Rika personally describe her. On the other hand, someone who has a world of her own, a little too difficult to talk to, a loner—these are how people who know her or who have tried to have a conversation with her describe her personality. No one knows of her true self. She had never tried to open up to anyone as if no one is worth of her time—except for one person, and that one person is MC.
“Our beautiful President and Vice are coming!!!”, shouted one guy to the other students upon seeing Rika and MC steps away from the school gate.
The two have had so many admirers since the start of their high school. The president, Rika, having blonde hair and green eyes that make her look like a foreigner and the Vice President and her best friend, MC, having brown hair and blue-as-the-ocean eyes, they catch everyone’s attention.
“Good morning President Rika, Vice President MC!”, everyone in the school gate greeted.
MC smiled sweetly to her fellow students and told them, “No need to do that, everyone! I always tell you not to bother, but thank you so much! Have a good morning to you all.”
“Just let them be.” Rika stated, as she pulled MC towards the school building.
“That was so rude, Rika! You should have greeted them back!”
“MC, I don’t care about them, okay? You know that. I only care about you and you-know-who.”
“Still! You should be kind to the people around you, as much as you possibly can. Being kind will make you all cheerful and light inside. I swear, so can you please try just a little?”
“I’ll try. Since you’re insisting that much.”
“You always say that but you never really do it!” MC said while pouting. She continued, “Perhaps if you-know-who told you that, you will do it for once—being kind, I mean? I should go talk to him some time and ask him to tell you!”
“Stop that! You know that we haven’t really talked much since that one time. He isn’t interested in me.”
“I say… that’s impossible! You’re gorgeous! Any guy will fall for you! And he knows that you understand his art, right? As an artist myself, I will be happy deep in my heart if someone understood my art that much. So, you should look for another chance to talk to him about it again. You can do it. You are a good speaker!”
“MC, I am a good speaker in front of a lot of people. Not in front of someone I like!”
“Jeez. I never knew you were such a shy girl! But this is a breath of fresh air. Sometimes, I need to be the confident one between us, right?” MC teased Rika.
Rika laughed cheerfully and told her best friend, “I’m really glad that I met you, MC. You know that I am such a jerk most of the time, but you still stay beside me. You’re the only one who understands me.”
“Of course, I will be your friend in good times and in bad! And to correct you, there are still some people out there who can understand you. You just have to widen your perspective, try to talk to other people. You never know, the one you pass by at school might be your potential friend, too!”
“Yeah, yeah. There you go again with your nagging.” Both girls giggled at their conversation.
This is just one of the many talks the two had. They are always together. Rika never liked talking to anyone else besides MC because she believes that no one will be able to understand her true self. Since the first moment she met MC, she had always felt that her secret will be safe with her, because she knew that they were the same. Not minding how much different are their personalities—Rika being recluse and cold and MC being approachable and warm to other people—Rika believes that they share the same mystery.
(Flashback start)
The blonde is very interested in art, that’s why every weekend, she attends art galleries, even if the place is far from her home. That is how she met the one who stole her heart through art—the mysterious blue-haired guy who happened to be her schoolmate (she never knew until then). His painting of the sun depicts so much sadness and depth that pul@led her in to another world. She doesn’t know if she imagined it, but this art is as if it has its own life. Its darkness attracted her. She didn’t realize the artist himself was beside her, looking at his own art.
“Do you like it?”, the caerulean-haired guy asked Rika.
“I love it! It’s so full of emotions. I don’t know but, I feel like the art itself understands me.”
“I’m so happy to hear that, as the artist who painted that…” a shy look was evident on his face. “No, sorry… I was just so deeply overjoyed knowing that someone was touched by my art.”
In Rika’s eyes, he had found a person who can be mistaken as the sky. He is so painfully beautiful that both him and his painting attracted her. She couldn’t fathom how inspired she felt while listening to him talking to her. In the back of her mind, she knew him. He is the one from her other world--one of her secrets. She never knew that they will meet in her world as well.
“It is really breath-taking. You should be proud of it.” She reassured the guy. “I don’t want you to feel burdened or anything, but may I know your name? I think I will be your number 1 fan from now on!”
“Oh, sorry for not introducing myself. My name is Jihyun Kim. You can call me V, my pen name. It’s a pleasure to meet a kindred soul. We both love art.”
“I’m…”
“Rika, right? You’re the president of our school. You might have not noticed me, but we are schoolmates.”
“Oh my god. I’m sorry about that, but I’m sure to notice you from now on!”
“That’s nice. I hope we’ll be friends!”
“Yes, I hope so too.”
"Of course. He doesn't know me here." She thought.
V left in a hurry. Rika knew that she fell for the guy who resembles the sky. She feel in love again with the same guys he fell for in another world. She immediately called MC to tell her of the encounter--skipping about the part regarding her having knowledge of (and ability to go to) another world.
She told her the story happily at first, however, deep inside, she didn't want V to meet her and vice versa, despite knowing that he knows her bestfriend for sure, since they all go to the same school. She felt that if V met MC, he will fall for her innocence and loving personality--the opposite of her--that he will end up forgetting her existence.
While telling MC the story, Rika can feel her best friend's genuine happiness for her. This made her feel guilty of what she thought. She knows that she is pure-hearted, unlike her. "I'm really glad to have met you, MC! You're the best friend ever! Support me, okay? I will try my best to at least be friends with V. He's deep as if he has his own world, I think we will understand each other." Well, he really has his own world, different from ours. --Rika thought.
"Good for you, Rika! Of course, I'll always support you! I'm also very happy to be your best friend." MC said.
Rika thought of V's art. She thought that it was the time to know if MC really is somewhat the same as her--different like her.
"This is becoming cheesy. *laughs* Anyway, I found something interesting! V's art, I told you, right? It's very mysterious. You'll know when you see it. We're the same so perhaps it will react if both of us see it."
"You're not making any sense, Rika. What are you talking about? If it's regarding art, I'm an artist but I don't get what you're saying. But since it's you and it's art, okay, I'll come with you!"
"I told you, we're the same so you'll get it when you see it! See you tomorrow, MC! Oh, but the thing's I'm going to show you will have to wait until next week. No questions about it for now!"
"Alright. I'll look forward to it! See you! I'll hang up now!"
Rika smiled as the phone call ended. This is the time that she had been waiting for. Her bestfriend, MC, whom she knows is also like her, someone who possesses an unnatural ability, will know her secret at last. She had always wanted to tell her, but she can't because she knew that MC is still unaware of this.
She could feel joy right now, because she found the way to awakening MC's ability and she feel in love with the one who paved this way. Everything is going into place for her plans. But as she thought so, she realized that there is still another secret that she would not like MC to know about her. In her mind, "MC shouldn't know my darkness. She must not know of that world."
(Flashback end)
A week had passed and it is now the time for Rika and MC to go to the place where the blonde set up as the meeting place--the museum where V's art is included.
"Rika's head over heels in love." MC thought.
"Did you just think that I'm head over heels in love?" Rika asked her from her back.
"That startled me! Are you a mind reader or something?"
"Maybe. Or maybe you're just an open book."
"Yeah, right. So, what is it that you wanted to show me?"
"Come here!"
Rika pulled her by the hand towards a painting of the sun filled with flowers—striped carnations, daisies, daffodils, and anemone.
"Can you feel the darkness inside that painting? We're getting closer and I can already feel it reacting to your presence." Rika told MC with face of ecstasy and utter joy. MC can't seem to assess what is happening.
They stopped in front of the art. MC read V's real name. She knows that name. She idolizes his works. However, all her thoughts seem to have been stopped when she laid her eyes upon the art. She was filled with emotions, but not darkness—she felt the artist's feelings of love although unrequited, she felt his sad but satisfied emotions. It was like the painting is telling it all to her.
Upon realizing that the sentiments she felt were communicated by the living art, it started to look like it's moving in a swirling motion dragging them into it.
"It's alive? What the hell? Rika! What is happening?"
"Don't worry, MC. This will just awaken you. Your abilities will all be realized after this."
Rika had the same experience when she was 7 years old. Being an art lover since she was little, she came into one living art that pulled her into it. Upon waking up the next day, she has become more aware of her surroundings and had become more mature than most of the children at her age. She was able to realize that something changed after that incident—she can go to another world through living arts (paintings or any art that can portray the artist’s emotions through dragging the person into it). So, she continuously searches for a living art by going to every art galleries. This is the start of her alone life, as she constantly searches for someone like her. Also, through her search, she discovered that she also can determine if someone has abilities like her or not. So far, no one has had abilities like her because most people have abilities but not strong enough for it to be realized, until she met MC, who in her eyes, were shining like the moon at night the moment she saw her.
On the other hand, MC was showered by all sorts of feelings and emotions that she has never felt before. She heard Rika's voice and she can tell that she's joyful of what is happening, yet there is a hint of jealousy in her. MC doesn't know what is happening and why she could tell how others feel but she's starting to control her consciousness and beginning to make sense of the situation. Right then, she saw another world in the painting. Same as their world, but something's different about it. It's like she was being called to it, as if she needs to save someone from it. When she was about to reach out to the other side of the living art, Rika caught her hands.
“You should not go there, MC. I didn’t know that you also have the ability to go there.” Rika said and confusion is all that’s shown in MC’s face. Rika continued, “I thought you might have the capability to hear other’s emotions or thoughts, like I do or the ability to block your thoughts since I can’t read your mind. I never knew that you’ll see that place as well. Just remember, don’t ever go there. It is not some place where you will belong.”
Hatred. Surprise. Insecurity. Regret. These are the feelings that MC felt from Rika after that event. She couldn’t help but be curious of everything and what her best friend was hiding.