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It's a dusty autumn afternoon and as the sun sets over the glistering orange leaves,the moon settles over the horizon as a watcher over the earthlings, waiting for its turn to rule the sky.
Yeojoo puts her broom to hang by the entrance of her small cottage which is situated in the heart of a forest,near the city,and goes inside to put the herbs she has gathered for her potions. Rosemary and thyme scents fill the hall as she steps inside and there is the miasma of cinnamon coming from the kitchen.The mixture of scents make her feel better and welcomed after the long,rough days she had on her journey to gather ingredients.
It seemed as if time had stretched its long,liniar legs, planted them in the sand and dragged the seconds for much longer than it should have.
Her way back home was tedious and she had felt as if her body had been minced in small little buttery bits as she had landed on the ground again.
Yeojoo was sure that she still had some feathers in her hair from the flock of birds that had attacked her in flight.
Sangah,her beloved cat, appears from the kitchen and fixes her with its emerald gaze.Her black shiny fur looked like a smear of ink on the wooden floor.
"You're late and forgot to leave me food.I had to steal some of those dried fishes from your kitchen and it was too salty"the cat says, sitting on its paws and rolling her long tail in waves.
"Well if you can complain about everything you can also find some food.I am sure that there are mices around"Yeojoo responds as she takes spices,herbs and oils out of her bag and lays them on the table to deal with later.
"I used to be a human.I don't eat mice that seems really disgusting to me"Sangah laments and Yeojoo ignores her woes.She takes out the can of tuna she had specially bought for her, opens it and places it in front of Sangah, smiling at her.
The cat doesn't waste any more minutes to leap excitedly at the food in front of her and devour it within seconds.She seems happier now judging from her purring and Yeojoo is endeared by her silly behaviour.
The bell above the entryway rings and the door opens as someone steps into the cottage. Yeojoo goes to see who would come so late in the evening and is met with the dainty appearance of a really attractive woman sitting in the hallway, looking around as if searching for something and unsure that she would find it there.
"Can I help you?"Yeojoo asks,her curiosity taking over her annoyance at being bothered at such an hour.The tall woman in front of her stares for a few moments down at her in what seems like wonder with a hint of chariness in her gaze.
"Are you the witch that owns the magic café?"The woman asks and Yeojoo can't help thinking that she has a really beautiful velvety voice,very smooth and melodic like the sound of bells swayed by the warm summer wind.
"That would be me, yes,but we're closed for the day so would you like to come back tomorrow?"Yeojoo tries to politely inform her but the woman doesn't move an inch and she doesn't appear to have any intention of doing so in the foreseeable future.
"I am afraid that I can't wait until tomorrow.It's a bit of an urgency"The woman steps closer,her heels making clicking sounds on the wooden floor.The proximity makes the blood rush to Yeojoo's face.
She also realised how the woman smells like Tuberose,her favourite flower.The dulcet scent would linger around Yeojoo, delightful as a summer night.
She thinks that she should be more angry at those words but she is strangely attracted to this woman.The mystery is why such an enchanting person is searching for in her modest shop and why does her apparition seem to shake her heart left and right,beat by beat,a frenetic metronome inside of her chest.
"What is that you wish for?"Yeojoo hopes that it's nothing too bizarre.
"I want a potion that would make me pass an audition for this modeling agency that I truly want to be a part of"The woman tells her and Yeojoo realises that it makes sense for her to be an aspiring model.Her legs seem to go on forever and she has the face of a painted muse,Aphrodite like in beauty and deathless. Yeojoo finds it hard not to stare at her features.
"So a potion for good luck and success"Yeojoo mutters as she mentally checks the list of available ingredients for the potion to see if there are enough of them.
"No.I don't want just good luck, I want the actual job"The woman insists as her voice rises a bit in octave,waking Yeojoo up from her little infatuated daze.
"Well it doesn't work that way.You'll have to drink a good luck and success potion and then manifest your desire for that job to happen.My potions work but not one hundred percent if you won't allow the magic to guide you."Yeojoo explains as the woman's face contorts into a disappointed expression.The orange light from the candles reflect on her features making her appear more somber.
"Someone that is my rival visited your shop and the next day she got the gig that I have wanted so I am sure you can work your magic and just give me this job.Or better can you turn her into a frog or something after?"The woman inquires and Yeojoo is just looking incredulous at her.
"I don't do hexes and that's not how it works.I merely gave her a potion of good luck and that was it.I will prepare one for you too if you wish but if not please leave"Yeojoo is getting angrier and angrier with every word and she knows that she is being harsh but she cannot stand people that look down on her or mock her for being a witch.
The woman crosses her arms against her chest and scrowls but then she lets out a sigh as if she makes up her mind to just deal with the situation as it is."Alright,I am sorry for assuming,I'll just leave everything in your care,yes?"
"Yes.Let me get you seated so I can start to work on it" Yeojoo answers her, calming down to her polite tone after the apology.
She looks disappointed but Yeojoo won't let that damper her spirits.She needs her head clear in order to concoct the potion but somehow the dreamy image of this woman basking in the orange glow of the sunset can't seem to give her any tranquility.
Yeojoo guides her to the garden to sit at a table under the rose gazebo among the other flowers that Yeojoo likes to tend.It's a wonderful display and she is proud of her work to keep them alive in spite of the colder weather they've been having lately.The glow of the moon shines right through the arch and stops on the woman's silhouette, giving her an whimsical appearance.
Suddenly there is a pulling inside of Yeojoo's heart as if someone is playing with its strings.She hopes it's just the moonlight playing tricks on her.
"Can I ask for your name?"Yeojoo asks suddenly to dispel the silence,feeling a bit self conscious.
"It's Dodo"the woman responds and Yeojoo thinks that it's a really strange name for someone to have especially for such a dashing person but she keeps those thoughts to herself.
"I am Yeojoo ''she politely presents herself and watches for Dodo's reaction that comes in the form of a little stretch of the mouth and a nod.There is nothing much to talk about after even if Yeojoo's mind is filled with questions.
The witch lights the candle from the table where Dodo is situated with the flick of her fingers and watches as the flame erupts in yellows and blues.Dodo looks mesmerized at the candle and then back at Yeojoo as if she had just witnessed some grand magic trick that she had tried to uncover.
"No way"she whispers to herself and Yeojoo smiles at the display.It's always a joy to see the moment when people realize that she is what she is affirming to be and not some fraud.
"Wait here,I will go and prepare your potion"
Yeojoo moves to get inside the kitchen so she could do what she needs to ,deciding that the faster she gets it done the faster Dodo would leave and Yeojoo would be able to slow down her thoughts and heart,to regain her senses and clarity.A witch overcome by emotion is a dangerous thing.
Sangah is by her side, demure as she often is,a pleasant companion as Yeojoo lights the fire in the hearth and puts her old cauldron filled with water to heat.
She gathers some basil,lotus and peppermint and throws the ingredients into the now boiling pot of water and then adds some cinnamon that reminds her of the colour of Dodo's hair,for the flavour.She leaves them to stew as she begins to stir the pot. Suddenly, there is a noise coming from the living room,as if something has shattered.Wondering if there is some forest spirit raking through her belongings she leaves the cauldron on the hearth and goes to investigate.
Yeojoo finds nothing out of the ordinary in the room,her trinkets and porcelain are all intact and there isn't any spirit occupying the place.She seems to be entirely alone.She was probably just very tired and her senses were all high wired.Feeling a bit silly,Yeojoo goes back to her potion making ,noticing that Sangah has left the room she wonders if the noise was just the cat playing around.
The witch starts to stir the potion again,this time singing the words of an old good luck spell her grandmother has taught her,while envisioning a bright green light falling over her and the pot.She thinks of Dodo too and tries to focus all of her energy towards the woman.She feels her energy wavering with nerves so she focuses on the aromas around her to regain some ballance and ground herself to her home that represents her safe space.
After a few minutes of meditation ,she seals the potion and then leaves the mixture to steam.
Yeojoo searches for a pretty porcelain cup,one adorned with golden floral ornaments from her favourite collection and pours the concoction into it.There is a really nice aroma to it,maybe a bit different than the previous good luck potions she has made but she thinks it's all due to her senses being more sharper at night.Yeojoo hopes that it would at least taste good to Dodo and would help her.Her potions worked like a charm usually, especially if good intentions were poured into it.
There is this odd desire being alighted in her to just please the woman. Yeojoo supposes that it's her pride making her consider such a thought,as well as her ambitions of being a proper witch that uses her power for a good purpose.
In a way she also wants to prove her wrong.
Yeojoo takes the tray with the potion and some lemon biscuits and goes back into the garden to serve it to Dodo.To the witch's astonishment the woman is sitting down and petting Sangah who is ,in turn ,purring while looking extremely besotted by the attention that's being given to her.
"She isn't really keen on meeting strangers so it's a bit unusual to see her like that"Yeojoo says and Dodo jumps at her voice as if she had been caught red handed doing something she was not supposed to.
"Is that so?She seemed very keen on making acquaintances when she climbed on the table to come and scream at me and paw at my sleeve" Dodo tells her and Yeojoo sees her smiling for the first time that night.
She's really beautiful when she does it and there is a lick of fiery yearning in the pit of Yeojoo's stomach.
"You should ask for her number if you fancy her so much."Sangah says with mirth in her eyes.
"It's not like that!Shut up you insufferable cat!"Yeojoo blushes and shoves the cat off the table to put the tray down in front of Dodo instead.
"You can talk to the cat?"Dodo asks her as she eyes the steam coming from the cup.The potion has the color of wildflower honey and it has a pleasant herbal scent.
"I am a witch of course I can"Yeojoo smiles but Dodo still looks doubtful at her answer.
"I had thought that this is a myth"Dodo affirms as she laces her fingers through the cup's handle to bring it to her mouth."Can I drink this now?It smells really wonderful"
"Yes but don't forget to visualise your goal"Yeojoo tells her and moves to sit on the opposite chair, observing how Dodo hesitates for a few moments to inhale the aroma and probe at the taste before pouring the contents from the cup down her throat in just a few seconds.
Yeojoo is a bit taken aback by her resolve but understands the driving force behind her decision.
As a witch she sees different kinds of people coming to her little shop for different reasons and wishes,some darker than the others but very human in their essence. Yeojoo likes to help people with her gift but has to turn some of the visitors down as their desires are too wicked and manipulative.
She hates people that overstep her goodwill and ask for favours that she would refuse to supply and then become vicious and try to hurt her.
At first she had thought that Dodo might be the same but she had sensed some goodness in her that's why she had decided to help her even if Yeojoo had felt insulted earlier.She hoped that her instinct about the woman was right.
Dodo puts down the empty cup and looks straight at Yeojoo.There is silence between them as they face each other.There is not even a breeze that would seem to disrupt that moment.
Yeojoo looks attentive into her tar gaze as if searching for something and she sees a softness hiding there behind the shadow cast by her lashes but also a loneliness and Yeojoo understands it.She knows that if Dodo wonders inside of her soul she would see in Yeojoo the same solitude lingering in the depths.There is this enlightenment passing through them.
After a few more minutes of swapping gazes,it is Dodo's voice that breaks through the spell that the women seem to be caught under.
"You have really pretty eyes"she says abruptly and Yeojoo's breath stops in her chest."Did you know that when you smile they look like little crescents on your face?"
Yeojoo is too stunned to fully comprehend Dodo's words so she remains there in her seat, looking at Dodo as if she has just transformed into a different being.
"There is a mole right under your eye, isn't that really charming?oh there is one above your lips too! Speaking of which,you have really pretty lips"Dodo goes on, pointing at Yeojoo's face and marveling at it.
Suddenly Yeojoo feels faint and the anxiety creeps down to her toes.Her stomach is tied in knots and there is a flicker of dread piercing through her chest.
"Do you feel alright?"she asks but she is already aware of what might have transpired when she had prepared the potion.
"Of course I do!Oh you look surprised now,I actually liked the blush you had earlier.It was so endearing"Dodo cooed at her.
It was all clear for Yeojoo then that she had put something wrong in the potion or that she had made a mistake which was something that had never happened to her.
"You know I was actually coming here skeptical about the actual existence of witches and expecting to see some old woman reciting some hexes from a worn out book but instead I get to see a really cute girl"Dodo tells her as if she was being drunk and elongates her arm over the table to caress Yeojoo's hand with her fingers.Her fingers are long and slender and if it wasn't for the awful situation they were in Yeojoo would have left her hand there and get swept in by the sensation of the brush of skin on skin.
Yeojoo, mortified, has the quick realisation that she might have created a love potion instead of a good luck one.
"No,this isn't right"Yeojoo exclaims and leaps out of her chair and out of Dodo's reach."You are not yourself right now!You are under a spell"
"Under your spell perhaps"Dodo tells her cheesely,still in her seat she doesn't go and chase after Yeojoo.The witch thinks that the control she still has over her is due to the spell's incipient stage
Yeojoo can't understand what went wrong and she feels faint with guilt for taking Dodo's free will and manipulating her feelings.The young witch has always refused making love spells and interfering with people's liberty to choose with whom they would fall in love with.That was like dabbling in black magic and could only attach chaos to one's life.
Yeojoo had swore that she would never use it,even for herself.Even if the ache for a person would have swallowed her whole she still wouldn't have used it.Those feelings were not real.It was just enchantment,a masquerade to occupy someone's mind and soul.
And she had resented it.
"Please try to fight it!Those are not your real emotions"Yeojoo begs her.She needs to find a way to eliminate the potion's effects from Dodo's mind.
"I don't understand.You don't believe me?"Dodo asks, looking hurt and Yeojoo tries not to comfort her even if that's what she really wants."I have fancied you from the first sight"
"No.no"Dodo seems already too affected by it."Wait here!Please don't go anywhere! I need to do something"Yeojoo springs back all the way inside her home leaving Dodo on her own.She doesn't look back to see if the woman has listened to her pleas.It would only make her feel worse.
She needs to find a cure before things would escalate any further.
Yeojoo storms into her kitchen and looks around it to locate her book of spells.She finds it quickly on the table next to her pots.Yeojoo skims through the pages till he reaches the potions that start with L. Unfortunately her hopes are brought down once more as the page is ripped from the book,the seams keeping the pages together still visible.
She remembers that she had ripped it and thrown it away in anger at how frightful such an idea was.
Yeojoo tosses the book away and brings her hands to her face, covering it in frustration and shame.She feels like erupting into tears.
"Calm down,you don't need the cure to that potion anyway"Sangah speaks, appearing from nowhere next to her.
"Of course I do!Look at what I've done! It's all my fault for fawning over a pretty lady instead of paying attention to what I was doing!I made a love potion with my own two hands"Yeojoo laments, moments away from a breakdown.
"You didn't!That is not a love potion that the young lady is under!"Sangah tells her, moving further into the shadows, underneath the table.
"Are you serious?How do you know?Tell me!"Yeojoo demands as she goes after Sangah.
"Promise not to get mad?"Sangah hides further, afraid of what Yeojoo would do to her.She's lucky that she has at least nine lives to count on.
"No.What did you do, you spawn of Satan"Yeojoo has a murderous look in her eyes but falters and tries to calm down to let the cat confess.
"Well,I might have slipped some lunaria and some gardenia petals into the brew while you weren't paying attention and it might have transformed into a -be truthful to the one you like kind of potion".
Yeojoo barely waits for her to finish so she lounges at the cat but misses as Sangah swiftly makes a precise escape and retreats into the opposite corner of the room.
"The noise from the living room!Did you create a diversion so you could slip that in?"Yeojoo has the belated epiphany and realises that she had been the victim of a crafty prank.
"Yes that was me but in my defense I had a really good reason"
"If it's not good enough I am throwing you out!"Yeojoo threatens and for the first time in a while Sangah is afraid that she might make good use of that threat.
"I wanted to help!You have been alone for a really long time and I saw how you looked at her.It was a yearning I often see in you when someone talks about love.I realised that you liked her."Yeojoo looks sadder now at her words and there is this loneliness on the surface of her gaze that always seems to be there when Sangah looks.
She supposes that certain loneliness has made Yeojoo want to start her business of helping people.Witches were,more often than not, lonely creatures that usually lived among nature,at the outskirts of cities to avoid any harm that might come in their way.It was hard for them to blend anywhere and there were so few of them left in the world that they lived scattered around it.
Sangah understood the feeling of wanting to belong somewhere,of wanting to meet someone that would bring a piece of heaven to one's life.She had wanted the same back then, when she used to be a human before she was cursed into roaming the earth forever,in the shape of a cat.
No human could understand her words anymore or want her around because of her seemingly strange behaviour so she was entirely lonely before meeting Yeojoo who had given her a place to belong and cared for her.It was two lonely souls that had found each other and their precious friendship, filling that small house with warmth.
Sangah had wanted to give some of that happiness back to Yeojoo,as the witch was very important to her.
"It was just an attraction on my part.It's useless anyway, she's an aspiring model and I am a witch living in a small cottage near the forest.Why would she be interested in me"Yeojoo sadly says,her gaze cast down at her worn down shoes.
"Exactly,you are a witch and it's her first time seeing one!I am also quite sure that she is as taken by you as you are by her!I could sense it on her,she was also watching you closely from the moment she had laid her eyes on you"Sangah encourages her as she jumps on the table so she could be closer to the witch."I wouldn't have interfered if I wasn't sure and besides those were her truthful thoughts!The potion has just encouraged the truth to come out of her mouth"
"This doesn't make any sense, surely you have done something wrong!Those two ingredients mixed together would make someone tell the truth to someone they are attracted to but how could she be attracted to me so soon?"Yeojoo asks and Sangah laughs at how ridiculous she is being.
"It's your charm of course"Sangah tells her between bouts of laughter.
Yeojoo's brows furrow and she throws her apron at the cat, missing her again"Don't joke about this you've already given me enough trouble to last a lifetime!"
"Sorry!I might have gone the wrong way with it but my intentions were pure"Sangah apologizes and Yeojoo's face softens.
"We need to reverse this.Let me search in the potion book once more"Yeojoo picks up the book again from where she has tossed it in dismay and searches the antidote for it.She finds it within minutes and rushes to prepare it.They can't afford to waste any more time.
"She won't ever talk to me again after this "Yeojoo mutters,the pain of the realisation reflecting on her face."It didn't even start and I've already ruined every other possible relationship me and her could have."
"You could explain it to her"
"And say what? That my cat tried to play matchmaker and almost poisoned her?"Yeojoo says,voice filling with sarcasm.It sounded ridiculous to her too.She was sure that Dodo would make a run for it once Yeojoo fixes her.She would have done the same if she was in her shoes.
"It wouldn't be the most ridiculous thing that has happened to me today"It's not Sangah that responds and Yeojoo realises belatedly that Dodo is sitting in the doorframe, watching her with a raised eyebrow.Yeojoo panics at the fact that she had witnessed her have a mental breakdown and talking to herself.
She must have looked ridiculous screaming at her cat and fussing around the little kitchen filled with flowers,spices and dry herbs.A string of fishes left to dry near the window ,some pots put around a small dining table and some leftover bread on a plate made Yeojoo blush with embarrassment.She was usually so tidy but her three days travel to the other city didn't give her too much time to clean up the place.
She wasn't even expecting guests till the morning at least.
"I am so sorry I promise that I will fix this"Yeojoo apologies and bows,her head low in hopes that the woman would forgive her.
"It's fine.I mean you should have just asked for my number or something but I acted awfully to you as well so I guess we're even.Forgive me too please"Dodo says as she steps very close to Yeojoo, facing her.In turn Yeojoo turns around and busies herself with stirring the pot.
Yeojoo becomes so happy as the words register in her head that the spoon she used to stir the brew almost slips from her grasp and into the pot.She saves it but the movement brings her even closer to Dodo, slightly brushing against her taller frame.The witch can't even bring herself to look at the beautiful woman because of their proximity.
"You're blushing again aren't you?Look at me"Dodo says as she puts her hands on Yeojoo's shoulders.There is warmth beneath her palms spreading through Yeojoo's body.
As if herself is the one being charmed by some strange spell, Yeojoo actually turns her head to look at the woman.Her face is really beautiful and small but her lips are full and rosy with just a pinch of gloss and it reminds Yeojoo of her roses in the garden painted with the morning's dew.
The flames from the hearth are reflecting in her eyes making them appear like amber.Yeojoo sees warmth in them and a glimmer of hope flickers in her heart.
"As I said you're really pretty"Dodo tells her in a soft voice and Yeojoo almost sees flowers blooming around them.She wonders if butterflies have grown in her belly and if anyone has ever felt like that before,as if you're being sick without knowing why and your body just flutters it's insides as to repeal the sensation..She knew how to fly but in that moment she had felt as if she had learned it for a second time.
There is always that first impression and fright that you are going to fall and hit the ground.
Yeojoo hides her gaze again and mutters"so are you" to the woman before escaping her hold to gather some ingredients that she needed for the cure.
"Cute"Dodo cooed but stepped farther away to watch the little witch doing her thing.Yeojoo has felt a pickle of nervousness on her spine at being observed like that.It has been a long time since someone besides Sangah has been in her space.It was a strange occurrence but she had liked the company nonetheless.
Sangah was once again mewling and pouring at Dodo's feet and the woman caved in and took the cat in her arms, stroking her fur carefully.
Some time passes in that manner and when the cure is ready Yeojoo feels lighter.She hopes that with the effects of the potion gone ,Dodo won't resent her.
"Here, please drink this! It's not messed up this time"Yeojoo has taken the extra steps in ensuring that even if she was distracted by the beautiful woman's company.
Dodo takes the simple white cup from Yeojoo and inspects it"Not a cute cup this time?"
The witch blushes at her observation."Sorry it might have slipped my mind"
Yeojoo observes how carefully Dodo is drinking the potion this time and she understands that being more cautious is not meant to insult the witch.Yeojoo can sympathize with her,she would have probably behaved just like that in such a situation.
Once the potion is gone,sparks are flying around Dodo and then it vanishes as quick as it has appeared and the woman seems to be more sober.Her face doesn't change but there is this hint of astonishment on her visage as her cheeks get more rosaceous in colour.
"I don't feel different"Dodo tells them"I am however mortified at how blunt I was.It seems that I had no filter.I must have made you very uncomfortable and I am so sorry!"
Yeojoo doesn't want to laugh but she can't contain it.Suddenly the woman in front of her is just a normal person, perhaps the same age as her, being embarrassed by having a crush on someone and giving her secrets away.
"I think that it was endearing"Yeojoo tells her,a wide bright smile on her face."And don't beat yourself over it.It was just the potion making you act like that"
Dodo looks at her and her face blooms into a smile as well.Yeojoo thinks that that sight is more beautiful than anything she has witnessed along in her life.Even the sea,the stars and the moon, things that left her mesmerized pales at her charms.
"Maybe but I want you to know that I meant everything that I said.All of it"Dodo places Sangah on the table next to her and moves closer so she could face Yeojoo."I want to know more about you if you'll like that too"
Yeojoo thinks that her whole body might be on fire and she doesn't really understand this newfound feeling of want that is occupying her core.They are so different,from words apart and yet Yeojoo desires for this to be something more.She wants to eliminate this space,those differences and turn them into something stable, something that would keep them together.
Yeojoo wants to know so many things about Dodo, about her thoughts ,her heart and her soul.To find out what makes her so alluring,so tangible to her.The witch feels as if she had found something precious that with time and proper care would grow up into something elementary to her being.A relationship that she had been craving for some time.Maybe her subconscious has manifested it or maybe her guides were showing her a path to walk on.
"I would like that of course"Yeojoo answers instead and she takes a step closer to what feels like a new journey.Dodo takes her by the hand and it's a wonderful feeling to be near someone else for a change.To be part of something so intimate.
Sangah watches them both with happiness, thankful that her plan has worked somehow,in the end.She hopes that Dodo would alienate some of Yeojoo's loneliness from her life and help her discover new things about herself.
The old clock on the wall chimes, making Yeojoo look at the time and see that it's almost midnight."It's really late.Would you like to stay the night?I will make you the good luck potion first thing in the morning if you'd like"
"We have just met and you are already inviting me to stay the night?"Dodo says but she doesn't seem very serious as she even tries to stop her laughter .There is a joke somewhere that Yeojoo can't seem to catch.
"What is so strange in that?The woods are dangerous for humans at such hours and I don't want you to get hurt.Forest spirits are also quite the tricksters.I could fly you home on my broom if you would prefer that as an alternative"
Dodo's eyes soften at Yeojoo's words and she raises her hand to pinch her cheek, marveling at how soft her skin was."You're so innocent it's really cute!I appreciate you looking out for me though so I'll stay.We have had enough of an adventure today I don't know how I would react to being flown around on a broom!"
Yeojoo swats her hand away playfully and tries to act annoyed but her scarlet cheeks betray her once again."Don't call me cute"
"I won't.Also there is something that you have to promise me"Dodo says and Yeojoo looks at her with interest.
"What is it?"
"If I get the job you'll have to go on a date with me"Dodo informs her looking smug.
Yeojoo knows what a date is but she has never been on one so she wonders what humans usually do during those gatherings.She makes up her mind to make that potion one hundred percent efficient so she could find out."Yeah why not"
"It's settled then!"Dodo boasts.
There is a wave of emotion swapping Yeojoo off her feet so she has to move from her place to not get dragged deeper into the current."Let me show you my room,I'll let you sleep in there since you are a guest.
Yeojoo feels more nervous than she is showing as they fall in step with each other while on the way to the witch's room.It's been a long time since she has someone in her home and she doesn't remember a time when someone has seen the inside of her room-besides Sangah that's it.And Dodo is her crush so the prospect of appearing too forward frightens Yeojoo.She knows of human behaviour and customs but she lives a sheltered life with her own habits and beliefs.
Witches have to be careful all of the time but she supposes that Dodo could have tried to harm her already if she had wanted to.
Yeojoo opens the door and invites Dodo to go first, suddenly even more shyer than before.Her room is not too spacious and it's filled with lots of plants and flowers so it looks more like a miniature garden than anything else.There is a small bed fit for a single person,a desk and a little library filled with books of diverse subjects, mostly for her research.On a small table near the window there is her altar, mostly made by hand, with fresh flowers,a few candles and chalices.A small cauldron and her favourite handmade wand made from cherry tree, always being present on the display.
Yeojoo has also hidden small charms for protection around the room.As she used to get nightmares frequently she feels safer that way.This is the safest room in the house and now there is another presence in there.
"Wow"It's all Dodo says as she looks around the room,her eyes wide taking in all of the details.She moves to smell the lilac flowers that are wrapped around the bed frame, their strong scent filling the room.
"Do you like it?It might be a bit weird for a human but a witch is more sensitive to her environment so one's place has to represent them."Yeojoo doesn't know why she feels the need to fill the silence with words but there is this uneasiness in her stomach as she doesn't know what Dodo is actually thinking at that moment.
Dodo looks at the altar and then at the pictures pinned to Yeojoo's walls containing landscapes that Yeojoo often discovers on her journey.There are a few candid pictures of Sangah too, sometimes the witch appears in them, sometimes the cat is shown to be exploring around the forest or the house.
"It's very nice actually,it feels so calming.I am still in awe at how there are still flowers in bloom in here, especially so late in the autumn.I can barely keep a simple plant alive honestly"
"I help them by sprinkling some magic on them once a day.It's an old common practice but I love being surrounded by flowers.If you want to save a plant, though,you can also come to me."Yeojoo tells her as she opens the binds to let the moonlight enter the room.It reflects right into her eyes,as if she would keep it there,a luminous halo of celestial light around her pupils.Dodo is keeping her gaze on her the entire time.
"You're just full of surprises aren't you"Dodo tells her in a very soft voice as if she is speaking to someone very precious to her.It's a serendipitous meeting,a gift none of them expected.There is this serene tenderness between them ,an unbinding of the heart from the doubts and the worries.
Neither move from their spot and for some precious seconds there is no need for words between them.It's the realisation that two people are finding something of worth.An attachment.
Yeojoo has been caught in Dodo's magnetic field and now she is orbiting around her like the earth does around the sun.
"I will let you rest now.I'll prepare a lucky charm for you so you can take it with you tomorrow"Yeojoo tells her as she moves from the window to pull out some blankets from her drawer to give to Dodo.
Sangah is already in her favourite spot on the window sill looking at them with pride,the swing of her tail back and forth like a pendulum.
"Are you not going to sleep here?I don't want to bother too much,you should take the bed, it's yours afterall"Dodo tells her,hesitating to take the blankets.
"Nonsense!You are my guest and besides I don't need that much sleep.I usually use the nighttime to do some work and prepare my ingredients for the next day."The witch tells her without lying"Oh you are still in your clothes,I'll look for something that you could wear"
Dodo watches as Yeojoo is swallowed by her wardrobe and as Yeojoo re-emerges from it holding a long night dress.It seems much too small for Dodo but then some sparks fly out from her fingers and the material of the dress seems to enlarge to fit Dodo's height.
"Done!Here!Also I have a bath where you can wash so you can then go to sleep,you must be tired and you also need to get plenty of rest so your body will replenish its energy after the potion"
Dodo nods at her,still a bit taken aback by the display of magic and follows Yeojoo to show her the bathroom.
Once the door is closed and she can hear the water running, Yeojoo lets out the breath that she was holding in and touches her chest to feel her heartbeat against her palm.It's a crescendo of beats and it doesn't seem that it would slow down any time.
After Dodo is tucked in bed, Yeojoo stays in the living room gazing at her window to watch the moon move further and further away till it would fall from the sky to be replaced again by the sun.
Sangah is sitting in her lap,lured to sleep by the dancing flames from the fireplace.The crackling of the burning wood is the only sound that can be heard.Yeojoo missed the sound of the cicadas and their melody lullabying the summer nights.There are so many thoughts running around in her brain,so many emotions juxtaposed in her heart but there is a newfound excitement for what may occur in the future.Her sense of adventure is heightened by her meeting with Dodo and she cannot wait for the unraveling of the mysteries along the way.
At some early hour in the morning she falls asleep on the couch and dreams of holding Dodo's hand through fields of flowers and cobblestone paths.
In the morning they part.Yeojoo gives Dodo the good luck charm,the potion and her number.Dodo thanks her and kisses her cheek, leaving a bit of the rougé that she had borrowed from Yeojoo on her skin,like an imprint.
In the late hours of the afternoon,after the last of her customers leaves and she is tidying up her home, Yeojoo's phone lights up with the message:
"Got the job!see you on our date!"
They agree to meet in the city the next day and Yeojoo, filled with happiness, spends the whole night awake daydreaming about their date.
She always knew that there was no need for potions to fall in love, sometimes it is just the timing and the person that comes along the way to greet you on your journey.