Chapter Text
The village of Furusato.
Home to a population just shy of five-hundred, a historical modern village hidden by the leaves of the dense forest, at the base of the mountains.
There were few who could claim to know it, as you would have to look for it specifically on a map.
Most villagers had never set foot outside the villages boundaries. The only visitors to its little hamlet were merchants and traders travelling the land with goods and services, coming in from far away. And on rare occasions, someone looking for a getaway, perhaps a lone wanderer passing through, seeking shelter in the village.
They claimed it was hard for them to leave after experiencing the hospitality of the villagers, and certain…sights. Even going as far as to say the village was alluring. Like it cast a spell on them. Rather, someone.
The one exceptional wonder to Furusato was the woman who lived there, in the biggest house atop the hill, who came into existence not more than twenty-three years ago. She, or if you have the royalty of calling her by name, was the most sought after woman in Furusato.
Many men, even those with wives, would drop everything at the sight of her. A small, pretty thing like herself, twenty-three years old and unmarried, completely baffled the villagers. So they sought after her. Wanted her as theirs. To be the one to have her- and not long after it became a competition.
You could imagine how she felt with the people she grew up with giving her such a hard time, lusting after her, no?
So, as a solution to this problem- which this solution could possibly solve the other… She came up with a little game. Whoever can take the key around her cat's neck, which opens the door to her home, will marry her. No getting-to-know-you-better phase. Just straight to marriage.
But there was a catch, there had to be, the villages speculated. The cat was not a normal cat, It was smart, docile, and witty. Many men tried to hunt the cat down, but to no avail, it saw through all their tricks and traps. Always finding a way to evade and avoid them. Some said she planned this, just a new sense of entertainment for her. Some said the cat was cursed, a demon in disguise. To bring misfortune and bad luck.
Or so you’ve been hearing throughout the two weeks since you’ve arrived at Furusato.
It was the middle of summer. The hottest summer you’ve experienced by far. The sun was beating down upon you harshly, your clothes clinging uncomfortably onto your skin.
You were in search of a job. Having come here with money that didn’t have a lot of value in the village meant you had to work to make a living. Though you weren’t really sure how to go about it. You don’t have any experience with anything besides ceramic art, having worked in a pottery art shop in the states most of your teenage years.
You walked past the riverbank, the sound of water flowing against rocks, birds calling and singing, the idle chatter of people.The cicadas chirping in the trees. It was real, something you could never have the liberty of witnessing in the city.
It was serene, quiet, peaceful, and perfect. There was nothing but calm silence until someone called out.
“Hey! Hey, you there!” A gruff voice shouted. There was a man, who waved his hand in the air with a bright smile stretched across his face as he stalked up to you. Others followed behind him, holding nets, traps, and sharp tools of sorts.
Oh, Hunters.
The infamous name the villagers came up with for the love-blind brutes who stalk around the village in search of the cat. They scheme against each other in hopes of getting the key first, making connections and deals among themselves. All hoping for her hand in marriage. It’s rumored that the mental stages of them are all over the place. Crazed, if you will.
You had hoped you’d never run into them but then again, the village was small. It was only a matter of time till you did. You stopped in your tracks, as did they.
He stopped right in front of you, and you craned your neck up at him. “You must be the new face in the village, yes?”
“I’m Kaizer, son of the carpenter.” He shook your hand. You took note of his firm grip and he gestured over to his friends. “These are my friends Namjoon, and Minho.” You nodded politely at them.
“(Y/n).”
His gaze returned to yours. “I have to ask, have you seen a cat with a key around here?”
You frowned. A cat? Not uncommon to find around, though not common either. It would stick out like a sore thumb around all this greenery during the day. “I don’t believe so...” You trailed off.
“Huh. I suppose we’ll keep looking. Thanks anyway.” And with that, the three of them turned around and continued on their own paths. Kai’s eyes lingering on you. Why? You don’t know.
Once they were gone, you made to start walking on again when suddenly a girl stood before you. She must’ve been waiting for you to finish talking with Kai.
She wore a khaki apron and black pants and a short sleeve shirt, a straw sunhat atop her head. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She was beautiful, an angel in human form. You had to stop yourself from gawking.
“Hello, I’m Roseanne! You must be new here, huh? Wandering around here like a lost puppy. Are you perhaps looking for work?” She took one of her hands out her apron pocket for a greeting. Her brown eyes shined, like she knew every little secret. Every hushed whisper. Every little thing about you.
You shivered.
You blame it on the breeze.
You gazed at her in thought. A strange feeling of comfort washed over you. Something told you to trust her.
“Yes I am.. I haven’t found much work yet. But, um, how did you know? Was it that obvious?”
She smiled at you, and you swear it was brighter than the sun itself. “Let’s just say a chipmunk told me.” You gave her a funny look, which she waved off.
“So! Would you be interested in a job? We’re looking for another employee since we’ve been getting more business lately.” She looked at you expectantly. You bit the inside of your cheek, hesitant but curious.
“Alright…sure, I’ll check it out. What kind of job will I be doing if I accept?” Her smile widened at your obvious interest.
“Wonderful! I’ll fill you in on the way there and then you can decide if you want the job?” Then, she intertwined your arms and dragged you alongside her.
You wondered what you’d gotten yourself into.
You got a quick rundown of what Roseanne and her friends do. They own a shop, where they make specialized flower assortments and ceramic art. They sell these for a good price and make commissions. You listened intently, trying not to let the excitement show too much on your face. You loved pottery, seeing as it was one of the things you were confident in.
Roseanne led you through the marketplace, which was bustling with activity. Vendors hawking the fruit and vegetable stands, children playing tag, and people selling whatever they could.
After a while, you arrived at the shop. It was a bit elevated from the main parts of the village. It sat on the top of a little slope, where it was then flat land.
But you could see why as you got closer to the top, it was the perfect spot for their shop. A stone pebble trail led to the open door. A view of the valley spreads before you, with the mountains towering high above. On the sides of the trail were small gardens and pretty flower beds. The colorful glass-pane windows were cracked open, letting sunlight flitter in. It was a place you’d see in fairytales and dreams, really.
There was a shed attached to the side where you guessed where the pottery studio was. Some pots left outside to dry and tons of shelves with different unfinished pieces. You noticed some clay sculptures hanging off the walls, along with wooden boxes with brushes and paints that sat at the far wall. Two expensive looking pottery wheels sat on different sides of the shed, each area having their own desk and table top. Everything was neatly organized and tidy. Very homely.
You heard voices talking amongst one another and Roseanne beckoned you over and pointed at the entrance before walking in herself.
The two girls were bickering. One girl, tall and slender, had her blonde long hair tied up into a high ponytail; the other a short brunette with mocha eyes and heart shaped lips. Both as beautiful as Roseanne.
“It’s just a spider! It doesn’t matter if I killed it!”
“But-”
The brunette smirked at the taller one. “Ohh, I know why you didn’t want me to kill it. It must’ve been your family, you long legged creature!” She pointed a finger at her.
The blonde sputtered in response, a grin growing on her face involuntarily.
She stuck her tongue out at her in a childish way in response. “It’s not my fault you're short.” The other gasped, her hands reaching up to mess up the blonde’s bangs.
“Alright! Guys that's enough. I have someone with me and you might just be embarrassing yourselves.” Roseanne interrupted them. They both turned to you before growing quiet.
You stood there dumbly as they assessed you. They gave eachother a look and walked up to you, surrounding you like sharks do to their food. You began to sweat from nervousness.
“Um-”
“Shh!” The blonde glared at you before going back to what they were doing. You looked to Roseanne for help but she just mouthed a sorry and leaned against the wall amused.
The brunette stopped in front of you, before scanning you up and down, and then rubbed her chin like there was a beard there.
She grabbed one of your arms, feeling up the muscle there. “Hm…” she trailed off. You were beyond confused. “What’s two plus two?” Her gaze snapped back at you.
“Four?” She nodded at you and dropped your arm before mumbling something along the lines, “Yes, yes…donkey…perfect.”
Donkey? What?
She turned back to the blonde and gave her a dorky thumbs up, who smiled broadly in response.
“Good job, Chaeyoung!” They praised Roseanne. Who rolled her eyes playfully. They all stood in front of you now.
“Guess it's time we introduce ourselves, I'm Jisoo!” The brunette spoke first.
“Lisa. Nice to meet you..?”
“(Y/n), nice to meet you guys too.”
“You're probably wondering why these two were being so weird, yes?” Roseanne jabbed a thumb at them. “Well, before they explain that, just know they run like they only eat sugar. This is pretty normal behavior.” The two looked at her offended.
“Right, well anyways, this shop is owned by the three of us obviously. I was searching for another pair of hands, because as I said, business- especially with the ceramic art commissions is exhausting doing them on my own. So I would like help. As for these two..”
“We need a two footed donkey!” Lisa’s words earned her a slap to the head. “But it's true.” She pouted.
“We need someone to pull the supply cart up and down the hill,'' is what she means. Sorry about the touching. I just wanted to see if you were strong- well and if you knew basic math. Pulling the cart is usually Lisa or Chaeyoung’s job, but they take forever to bring the cart back. So, if you chose to work for us, I hope you’re up for the challenge!”
“Wait, wait, wait.” You held up your hands. “How many things are we talking about here?” You already planned to say yes to the job, but you had to know how much stuff you were gonna have to lug up and down that slope, especially in this hot weather.
Jisoo shrugged. “Depends on how many orders you have to deliver and what supplies need restocked. But I'm not a monster, you don't have to do it everyday since you need to help Chaeyoung too.” She grinned cat-like.
“And if you do accept the job you’ll be getting paid by Chaeyoung, and the two of us since you’ll practically be helping all of us. I promise it will be good pay.” Lisa gave you a reassuring smile.
“Okay, fine. I’ll give it a try.”
“Okay!” Lisa chirped. “Welcome to the crew!”
You quickly got along with the three, even joking around like old friends. You could tell you were gonna like the job.
The sun was going down, signaling it was time for you to head home. You said your goodbyes to them before heading back. You began to walk down the slope.
“Hey, (Y/n)!” They called you. You stopped walking and turned your head back in acknowledgment, “Welcome to Furusato!” They shouted, they were all smiling at you, the untold shining in their eyes.