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Jinsol’s ears were ringing, her head was banging, her limbs were numb and tired, but she kept going, or she would’ve fallen. While she swung around Seoul’s skyscrapers, cold rain hit her face and dampened her hair, thunder beginning to rumble in the distance.
She had previously taken off her now ripped mask and felt blood sticking to her forehead and left temple, where she had previously been hit, but it didn’t hurt as much as the pulsing wound on her side. Her hands were red and dirty, and tears prickled from her eyes.
Jinsol was tired, and felt extremely sick, and exhausted, and vulnerable. For the first time in a year, after having been bitten by a strange radioactive spider randomly found in an abandoned box in her old childhood room, she had to face a real five-star-damage-level enemy. Because apparently robbers and minor criminals weren’t threatening enough.
The short-haired girl wanted to cry, so badly, but she had to resist. Her spiderpowers worked better when lucid and calm. She just had to wait to get back to her dorm room, drown under the covers and bawl her eyes and heart out in peace.
A rebellious sob escaped her throat and her chest felt extremely heavy. She felt tired, and weak. The rain pattered against the tall buildings while thunder got louder.
Jinsol only had to swing for a few more meters to finally get to her university dorm in Hongdae. It was late in the night, during finals week. Everyone else was probably already sleeping. She sighed, shy tears blurred her view but she was so sure she could already see the dim light she had left on in her room.
C’mon, just one last push.
The wound on her side throbbed in a very concerning way, and the girl wondered how many stitches she would’ve needed this time. Jinsol touched it lightly with her free hand and flinched in pain.
“Fuck!”
It stung painfully, now she wanted to cry ten times more. She suddenly felt dizzy, and the pulsing scratch on her temple didn’t help at all. Jinsol let out another sob, and then another one, until she started sobbing uncontrollably.
Her body felt number and sorer with every stretch of her arms throwing her webs around. The wounded girl felt helpless and lost. How could she protect the city if she couldn’t even handle a serious fight?
Sure, tonight’s nemesis truly seemed to have stepped right out of a cheesy comic book, but her point stood still: she wasn’t strong enough. Jinsol felt hopeless and useless. She hoped the citizens wouldn’t discover how she ran away like a stupid fucking coward. Was she even brave enough for this?
The short-haired girl felt a disgustingly heavy weight on her chest, and a loud sob violently shook her shoulders. She clumsily tried to wipe the tears off her face while turning around a corner, her dorm was just a few steps away. She could see the night lamp still on, just as she had left it a few hours before.
Jinsol smiled weakly as she pictured in her mind the semi open window, the warm covers of her room, the soft smell of flowers of the detergent she used, warm water from the tub to soothe her. She sniffled, her lips curling into a sad grin. Every suffering was a tomorrow problem, she needed to recharge, and rest.
Suddenly a bright light flashed in the sky, and not soon followed the loud rumble of a thunder, striking right near where Jinsol was swinging around. The girl yelped and, slightly unfocused, missed with her webs the edge of the windowsill of her room, slamming with all her body against the glass.
“Shit! Shit!” She muttered, as she hit her bleeding side.
Jinsol tried to steady herself on that small and slippery windowsill, trying not to fall as she clumsily tried to open her window, that she was so sure she had left open. Must’ve been the wind.
She sniffled as she tried to force the frame, and once it clicked open, the tired girl could finally catch a breath. She swung it open and hopped into her dorm room, the warmth of the environment already enveloping her sweetly. She comically landed on the ground, but instead of finding the usual hard and cold floor, her damp skin met a soft rug, plush and comforting.
Jinsol smiled weakly, wondering how it got there. Just like the pink bed in front of her and the bright star lamp on her desk. Did she ever own one?
That was mad weird, but the warmth of that room and the softness of that rug quickly lulled the poor spider-girl to sleep, making her forget about everything.
Just for a moment, though. Because after a while, a door softly opened and a loud thud woke Jinsol up, making her scream weakly.
She blinked twice, slightly confused by the light rnb music coming from the bathroom, along with a sweet soapy scent.
“You?! What the heck?!”
A beautiful girl stood in front of her, hair messily braided, and she was in lilac pajamas. She had a toothbrush and a small towel in her hand, and a bottle of shampoo had fallen on the floor, probably slipping as she had been taken by surprise.
Jinsol felt her cheeks heat up, and her head hurt even more. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She could only stare at the dark-haired girl with mouth agape and the wide eyes of a curious puppy. The soft light of the bathroom played an important role in that moment, adding an ethereal glow all around her, and Jinsol couldn’t help but picture that girl, even when wearing her comfortable pajama, as an angel, just like every other time she had seen Seol Yoona at the campus, or the library, or during class.
“I- I- I promise I can e- explain.” Jinsol muttered. Fuck, she had entered the wrong dorm, and basically broken into her neighbor’s.
“Are you okay?!” Yoona quickly moved towards her, and got on her knees. Her hands hovered closer to her face, holding it softly, tucking some stray strands behind Jinsol’s ear. The blood was now dried and sticky. Her touch was light, as almost as afraid to hurt the wounded girl even more.
“Wh- what-” She hiccupped, “what happened to you?”
Jinsol closed her eyes, tears already prickling back at the corners, out of embarrassment or pain, she didn’t know.
“Please, tell me you’re okay.”
“I am.” She laughed dryly, and tried to get up but miserably failed. Her arms and legs were too sore and tired to help her. She sighed. Her damp costume was uncomfortably sticking to her skin, she was so close to ripping it off. “Fuck, no. I’m not.”
Still with her eyes closed, she heard Yoona giggle softly. “Yeah, I can see that.” The dark-haired girl then grabbed the small towel she had with her and soothingly tried to dry Jinsol’s face and hair. “Let me help you.” She mumbled softly. The other girl peeked behind her eyelashes and swore she saw Yoona’s cheeks blush.
Her head was pounding again, and her wounds pulsed, but staring at Yoona’s round doe eyes almost felt like the most efficient painkiller ever.
“What?” She mumbled again, her blush deepening.
“You’re ethereal.”
Yoona shook her head and giggled, “Gosh, you’re definitely not doing okay.”
She then got up and Jinsol, afraid that it was all just a nice dream soon destined to be over, weakly tried to get up too. But the other girl softly stopped her, grabbing her shoulders and placing her back on the rug. “Easy, bug girl.” She smiled. “I’ll be right back.”
Jinsol tried to ignore how millions of butterflies were dancing in her stomach for being called ‘bug’. Her cheeks were burning too. She closed her eyes once again.
After a few minutes, she heard the faucet of the tub running and Yoona was back. She kneeled again next to Jinsol and tugged at the hem of her costume.
“I need you to take it off.”
“What.”
“I can’t really help you with your... wounds... if you keep it on.” She tried to speak so calmly it almost scared Jinsol. “Plus, it’s dirty. They could get infected, and-”
“Okay.” The short haired girl weakly gestured behind her neck. “There’s the zip.”
Yoona nodded and went for it, but then shyly hesitated.
“I have my underwear on.” Grinned tiredly Jinsol.
“Oh.” The dark-haired girl blushed. “Yeah. Right. Right.”
Jinsol’s limbs were sore and in pain, but she managed anyway to move them enough to help the girl take it off. Yoona’s touch was warm, and careful, and intoxicating, in the best way possible.
She was looking at her just like a little kid would stare at a beautiful flower or a sunset, full of curiosity and interest.
“I need you to do a little thing for me, okay bug girl?” She said calmly. “Hold onto me, let’s get you to the tub.”
“Nooooo.” Jinsol muttered tiredly. She truly had no strength for a bath.
“Don’t be a big baby!” Yoona giggled as she got closer, for the short-haired girl to wrap her arms around her neck. “Just a little effort. I know you can do it, Jinsol.”
The spider-girl almost tripped as she tried to get up, only by hearing her own name coming from Yoona’s lips. She looked at her with wide, surprised eyes.
“What? You thought I didn’t know your name?”
Jinsol’s legs were wobbly, but she still managed to get up, holding onto Yoona. The two girls moved together towards the bathroom, and at every step, the wounded girl kept flinching and whining at the pain.
“That was the plan, actually.” Mumbled Jinsol.
“Why?”
“So I can protect the people I care about.”
Yoona blushed, but didn’t say anything. She just smiled, as she fully opened the door. A dim pinkish light welcomed Jinsol, and the soapy scent enveloped her fully.
“I know you’re tired, but that’ll help, I promise.” Her voice was so melodious, like a sweet serenade.
Jinsol nodded as she sat inside the tub, “Will you do my hair then?”
Yoona nodded softly as she stepped out and closed the door, to give her some privacy, only peeking inside once the other girl called for her. Jinsol looked exhausted, but after getting cleaned, her wounds didn’t seem that bad anymore.
She then sat at the edge of the tub and started wetting Jinsol’s hair with warm water. Yoona squeezed some shampoo in her hand and started massaging slowly her scalp, while softly humming a tune. The girl leaned into her touch, closed her eyes and breathed softly, her body finally relaxing.
“You probably have so many questions.” Jinsol said quietly at some point.
Yoona hummed, “Is that why you’re always whether late for classes or running away before they end?”
“I thought no one noticed.”
She laughed, “It’s hard not to, when it happens every single day.” Then began to rinse her hair.
“So you didn’t know I was Spidergirl, right?”
“Nope. But I should’ve guessed it.” After a few moments she continued, “Always alone and acting so mysterious...”
“Definitely hiding something.” Grinned tiredly Jinsol.
“Yeah.” Giggled instead Yoona, as she softly scrunched her hair with a plush pink towel.
“Tryna keep my profile low.” She grinned again, while wrapping herself in another soft towel.
Yoona gestured at the rug in her room covered in dried blood and filth, and the now stained window glass. “Is it working, though?”
Jinsol playfully rolled her eyes, “I thought it was my room!”
The dark-haired girl held her hand while helping her get out the tub, “So you just casually broke into mine, friendly neighbor?”
A deep blush spread across Jinsol’s cheeks, and she laughed, “Yeah.”
Yoona hummed, “I’ll pretend to believe that.” And winked before started looking in a drawer for a few items. She then handed Jinsol a pair of colorful shorts and a large blue shirt, along with some full brief pink panties. Yoona grinned, “No boxers in this household, sorry.”
Jinsol giggled, “I’ll survive.”
And while she clumsily got dressed in some fresh clothes, Yoona sat on her bed and pulled out a small compact first aid kit from her tidy nightstand. She then patted on a spot next to her, inviting Jinsol to sit too.
“Let’s see what we have here.” She said softly.
Jinsol sat cross-legged on the bed and Yoona scooted closer, staring at her with her big doe eyes. She slowly lifted a hand and caressed her cheek, and then her forehead, attentively observing the scratch she had there. She then pulled out an antiseptic wipe and softly cleaned the scratch, giggling as Jinsol scrunched her nose in annoyance. Yoona then applied a hello kitty bandaid and smiled satisfied.
“One is done. Let’s see the real final boss now.”
Jinsol sighed, and slowly lifted her shirt, enough for the dark-haired girl to work on it. Yoona bit her lip in distress.
“Doesn’t look too bad, but...”
“It doesn’t look good either.” The short-haired girl completed her sentence. “And hurts so bad.”
Yoona hummed, nodding softly, and went for cleaning the wound with a wipe. Jinsol squirmed and whined in pain, but she shushed her soothingly. “You might need a couple of stitches for this.” She bit her lip again, and it did wonders to Jinsol’s head. “Do you trust me?”
The spider-girl gulped, her cheeks heating up. “S- su- sure!”
Yoona took the pair of scissors and cut a relatively long piece of suture thread. She sanitized a pin and carefully pinched Jinsol’s flesh closely to the fresh wound with her fingers. She breathed in, then out, and smiled shyly at the other girl.
Jinsol closed her eyes and breathed too, trying to relax.
“I did scout as a kid.” Yoona tried to reassure her. Her hand was hesitant, yet firm. She could trust her.
Jinsol bit her lower lip and muffled some groans as the pin inevitably pierced her skin, “Fuck! Fu-”
“Shh, bug girl.” Yoona soothed again, “I know it hurts, but we’re almost done, yeah?” She softly caressed Jinsol’s skin, and goosebumps formed all over her, making her whimper.
After the stitches were done, Yoona carefully applied some sterile gauze to keep it protected, and smiled fondly. “All done.” She scooted even closer to Jinsol and grabbed her waist, rubbing circles with her thumbs to soothe her. “You good? How are you feeling?”
The short-haired girl’s face grew hotter, and Yoona giggled as she noticed that even her ears and neck had heated up.
“You’re cute.” She stated, biting her lip.
“Wh- who?! Me?!” Jinsol’s face grew hotter, if that was even possible.
Yoona giggled again and got closer to the other girl’s face, staring with curiosity. Jinsol felt her gaze pierce sweetly through her, and shiny stars glowing in her beautiful eyes. The dark-haired girl’s breath hit her cheeks, it was warm. She found herself mindlessly staring at Yoona’s pink heart-shaped lips, and cursed herself for being so obvious.
“So,” the other girl started, “where were we?” Yoona’s soapy scent inebriated her soul, and as the girl got closer, she felt fully enveloped by it.
Yoona smirked and leaned in, her eyes fluttering shut. Their lips brushed slightly and Jinsol’s heart nearly skipped a beat. Her cheeks were red, and her heart was pounding loudly in her chest. Suddenly that room felt too silent, and she was sure that Yoona could also feel her heartbeat from how close she was.
Yoona was still kneeling towards her, her cheeks flushed in pink and her lips still parted, waiting for Jinsol to make the next move. So now was her turn to close her eyes and lean towards the other girl, closing the distance between them and pressing their soft lips together.
Her arms circled Yoona’s waist, who pressed her body closer, straddling her. Yoona hummed softly and parted her lips more, to give Jinsol more room. Her hands went for her hair, softly tugging at some strands at the nape. She then pulled out, and giggled, hiding her flushed face in Jinsol’s neck.
“Wow.” Panted the spider-girl, as she couldn’t believe what had just happened.
Yoona looked at her and smirked. “Yeah, wow.” Her lips were red and slightly swollen, her blush spreading across her collarbone. She was panting too.
“Wanna stay tonight, bug girl?”
Jinsol nodded, “Yeah.”
The dark-haired girl laid down on her back, and gestured her to do the same. Jinsol shifted next to her, wincing uncomfortably due to the wound and laid down too. Their clothed shoulders brushed and Jinsol felt a strange, almost magic, tingle in her fingertips.
The two girls stayed in silence for a while. Light rain still pattered against the window, but the thunderstorm had finally passed. The digital alarm clock on Yoona’s nightstand struck 3 in the morning and, as dorms wall were as thin as paper, no other noise could be heard. Jinsol wanted to take Yoona’s hand, but she was too shy to do so.
“When did you exactly notice me?” She said quietly, almost regretting it. It sounded so stupid. So desperate, even.
Yoona smiled, “Probably the very first day of classes.” She nodded, “Yeah. You had this very cool green jacket, lots of shiny rings, a bag full of pins and noisy keychains. I thought you were so cool. But what I liked of you the most was probably your quiet and mysterious look.” She bit her lip, “Kinda drew me all the way towards you.”
Jinsol snorted.
“You were always in a hurry, ready to run off at every given moment, God knew where to. It made me curious, you know.” Yoona sweetly found Jinsol’s hand and held it, then brought it on her chest, fingers intertwining. “But you were alone all the time. During class, at the cafeteria, at the library. I kinda grew a soft spot for you, always trying to find you in every crowd at the campus.” She bit her lip again. “Made me wonder if you had any friends. Maybe from another department. Or if you had someone who kept you company once you got home.” She sighed, “I truly hoped so.”
She stopped for a bit, almost shy.
“I tried many times to, you know, come up and talk to you. Maybe even sit next to you. But no matter how many times I tried, one look away and you had always disappeared in mid-air.”
Jinsol snorted again, “Sorry!” Then she tried rolling on her side to look at the dark-haired girl, only to hit her freshly stitched wound. “Ouch! Fuck!”
Yoona’s eyes widened and she giggled, her hand sliding under her shirt and softly squeezing her hip. “Careful, bug girl.”
Jinsol blushed, and coughed in embarrassment, mumbling a quiet ‘yeah’ and biting her lip.
“At first I didn’t understand why you were always alone.” Yoona continued, her sweet, lovingly round eyes still firmly focusing on Jinsol. “But now sure I do. It must be so hard for you to handle all this on your own.”
The short haired girl sighed and looked down, “It is.”
“But are you really alone?”
Jinsol nodded, still looking down. Tears prickled at the corner of her eyes once again. “Yeah. I have no one, Yoona.” She sighed, “I lost my parents when I was very little and I only have an aunt back in Yangsan, where I used to live.” Her chest felt heavy and she was afraid a sob could escape her throat. “But she never liked me. She kept telling me I was the reason my parents were gone, and I believed her.”
Yoona carefully wrapped her arms around Jinsol’s shaky figure, and held her close to her chest. “Are you, though?”
She sobbed, hiding her face in the crook of Yoona’s neck, “I was five. We went out to a restaurant. I left my deer plush there, but I didn’t mean to.” She slowly lifted her head, and Yoona met a pair of glassy eyes, pure yet holding lots of pain, grief, guilt, responsibility. No one’s heart was big enough to carry all that alone, not even Jinsol’s.
“Yoona, I still can see my parents’ warm smiles while telling me to go to bed before going back to get the deer for me. They weren’t angry, or annoyed.”
“So, that wasn’t your fault.” Yoona soothed her by softly caressing her face, and wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
“But if they had stayed at home, the accident that got them would’ve have never happened.”
Yoona hummed, “Life is unpredictable, though. You can’t be so sure.”
Jinsol knew she was right. Maybe by staying home, something else would’ve happened anyway. Who knew. But she still felt partly guilty and responsible.
“Jinsol, I get you want to protect the people you care about, because you’re scared of hurting them, or worse, losing them. But doing all this on your own is wild.”
Yoona leaned in and softly kissed the short-haired girl once, twice, thrice. Jinsol smiled sadly.
“And no matter how hard it can get, from now on you can count on me. Always.” Jinsol shook her head. “No, I’m serious. I’m not afraid, or worried, and you don’t have to be either.” She pecked her lips again. “I know Spidergirl is strong enough to protect me, just like she keeps safe every citizen every day.”
“You don’t have to.”
Yoona smiled softly, “That’s right. But I want to. So, so bad.” She hugged Jinsol even tightly, still paying extra care to her wounded side. She began rocking her, and the short-haired girl pressed her face to her chest. Yoona’s heartbeat was calm, and as melodious as her voice. A sweet serenade that lulled her to relax.
“I know you’re hurting. I know it’s hard. But you’re not alone, not anymore.” She kissed the top of Jinsol’s head as she tried to muffle a sob. Being quiet wasn’t exactly her thing. “Every worry, every responsibility, every pain, every trouble you have to face, you can share it with me.”
Jinsol sobbed again and shook her head, “No, no. I can’t.”
“Of course you can, always.” She caressed her back softly. “It’s so much easier sharing the weight of such things. And I can handle that.”
“You promise?” Jinsol now stared at her with glassy puppy eyes. She couldn’t believe her ears.
“No matter how many stitches I’ll have to give you. You’ll never have to go through it all on your own again. Promise.”
A loud hiccup escaped Jinsol’s mouth and she hugged Yoona tightly, muttering a few ‘thank you’s.
“I got you, bug girl.” Said the other girl, “Forever.”
Jinsol snorted, and wiped her tears, “Spiders don’t live forever.”
“So do humans.”
The two girls looked at each other and giggled, a million emotions spreading into their chests and connecting them deeply in that silent rainy night.
Jinsol laid on her back again, and both stared at the ceiling while grinning. In love, in relief.
A comfortable silence spread through the small dorm room and Jinsol closed her eyes. She felt so relaxed she could’ve fallen asleep in a heartbeat. But suddenly, Yoona blurted out, “Who did you even fight, tonight?”
The short haired girl snorted, “I have no fucking idea.”
Yoona giggled, “Any clues, Spidergirl?”
“That’s the problem. None.” Jinsol sighed, “I just know that wasn’t human.”
That night nemesis had blades and swords for limbs, and its voice felt remotely familiar. It also knew her real name. Something eerie, and obscure was definitely under it. But at that moment she couldn’t really wrap her head around it. She somehow had to investigate and to find its weak point, and by how Yoona was looking at her, she knew she could count on her help.
“We need to do something.” She then stated, yawning halfway.
Yoona giggled, “Yes, yes. We’ll think about it tomorrow. Now sleep.” She softly kissed her forehead. “Goodnight, bug girl.”
Jinsol smiled, “Goodnight, ladybug.”
If they were still looking at each other, she would’ve noticed how flushed and flustered Yoona had gotten, all giddy and embarrassed.
“What?”
“If I’m your bug girl, then so are you.” Jinsol giggled, “Ladybugs bring you good luck, just like you did by saving me, Seol Yoona.” She closed her eyes and took the other girl’s hand, “Got so lucky.”
Yoona smiled and nodded, “Me too.”
“No, but seriously, though.” Jinsol suddenly got up and stared at her, the star lamp light still on. “How can I be so lucky?”
Yoona giggled, “Why?”
“You’re... soft, elegant, pretty.”
She shrugged, “I guess pretty girls will like other pretty girls.” Then she smiled, “Now let’s get some sleep, pretty bug girl.”
Jinsol grinned, “Okay.” Then lifted an arm and pointed towards the lamp. A spurt of web swiftly came out her wrist and hit the star lamp, turning it off, the room finally darkening.
“Jinsol, what the heck! My lamp!”
The spider-girl couldn’t stop laughing and hugged Yoona, who was laughing too.
The alarm clock on the nightstand struck 5, and the rain had stopped. Some car honked outside, but a sweet silence reigned in Yoona’s room and in the dorm.
After a few moments, Jinsol felt okay, and protected, and enough. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Being Spidergirl wasn’t that bad, after all.