It was awfully obvious how disinterested yoona was at the comicCon. After all, she came only because she wanted to meet her stalker. She wasn’t even afraid to show how disturbed, angry and annoyed at the alleged stalker. How she has to waste her time coming down here just to get her answers or at least have him stop writing her life. Yoona traced her fingers over the words she had written on the paper prior to entering the hall. The slightly crumpled piece of paper read: I’ll be at angel-in-us cafe waiting for you and i won’t leave until you come. I need to speak with you. Even though she wasn’t sure if he might, she thought it was the best thing to do rather than writing about her purpose and risk getting thrown into the bin by his superior or even by himself.
When the first few, least important events, in yoona’s eyes have ended, yoona joined the line where fans have gathered together to come to meet the webtoonist - simonBlue. It was her turn after having to wait in line for a good half an hour due to the overwhelming response. Yoona managed to take a look at the surrounding tables that were also filled with many interested fans. Some queued to see several of them and some remained only in one line, content to just meet one webtoonist.
Despite being a request to have the webtoonist meet her, her usual intimidating demeanor didn’t leave her. With gaze so confident that matches her aura, she slips the note to him when it was her turn. “I have something to say so you better come.” She whispered in a low voice as she leaned in before walking away, causing several heads to turn and a few invisible question marks appearing on heads that were close enough to see the brief, non-enthusiastic exchange.
Upon arriving at the cafe, yoona had placed an order of her favourite drink - earl grey milk tea. Since she doesn’t know when the event might end, she thought it would be best to not be an empty patron and to order something. “… he doesn’t look like he recognize me..” yoona mumbled to herself upon the realization. It was strange, the entire thing certainly felt strange but the prideful girl has walls so high and thick to actually resort to begging or explaining her reason why she needed to see him urgently.
The queue line feels like it’s never ending as Hanbin keeps inscribing his autograph on the paper given to each individual before they come to his desk. Some people come to him and say appreciative things about his work, which Hanbin feels grateful about. They talk about their own favorite scenes and chapters, self-interpretation of what is coming in the next update. It turns into a fun conversation with different people every time, and he finds it amusing that many people put interest in his artwork even delve deeper into the meaning of it.
If only Hanbin could explain every detail himself, he would. But for the latest work he released, there is no logical explanation enough to back up the ‘creative mind’ people praise him for. One thing that Hanbin can never tell anyone is how he perceives himself as a messenger. The hidden truth is, It was a night when Hanbin was in his slumber and the vision came into his sight. Every night, it could be a repeat of the other scene or a new event altogether. It was too vivid to call it a dream, as the face of the young woman was distinct enough for him to remember. For some reason, the lady would be part of the story as if the world was centered around her. Aside from the universe, Hanbin keeps the image of her as far as embracing her features and sketches it out of his memories, trying to keep it true to his vision. Many thought he could’ve drawn the character better and prettier, but Hanbin found no reason to do such thing. As if he wanted to deliver the message appearing in his dream, maybe someday he will find the answer why he is assigned to tell the story.
He has kept the thought hidden during the events even when some fans try to pull him out of the safe place, until a lady comes forward to his table with a face that’s far too familiar to his memory. Hanbin feels his heart stops for a moment when their eyes meet, and chills running down his limbs. As if she is coming out of his dream, the young woman in front of him resembles the one who Hanbin has been used in his story. She leans in, passing a secret agenda for them to meet, which is beyond what Hanbin expected from a stranger. But something about her draws him in, as if she’s the key to the questions which have been lingerin gin Hanbin’s mind ever since he works on the series. It seems ilogical, but making sense at the same time. He kind of misses the words she was saying, since Hanbin is busy to control his sense upon meeting the woman in his dream in person. The paper she passed into his palm is snatched from his grip immediately, but luckily Hanbin did a quick reading of the letter and memorized the message before it disappears. It takes him another hour to finish the signing event, and his feet can’t stop fidgeting until the very last second of it.
Once the last person in the line leaves the table, Hanbin gets up and ends the event with an abrupt speech. He leaves the booth, grabs his jacket and asks permission from the staffs to leave earlier since an emergency has happened. A little lie, not as big as what he has been offered to his reader, is passed and Hanbin rushes himself to the place mentioned in the letter. He loses the direction at first, but after asking some people, Hanbin leads himself to the cafe where it looks busy in the afternoon. He pulls the hoodie attached to his jacket and covers his head, walking in to the room with a cling on the door as a mark of his arrival. He looks around and passes through some tables until he spots the face he saw earlier.
She is there sitting in the corner with a drink on the table, unaware yet of his presence before her eyes. Hanbin steps closer, trying to process her being which still feels surreal. An untouched image in his mind now appears in a shape of tangible flesh, a more realistic look but less emotions. “Uhm,” he mumbles in a soft voice, not sure if a hello would be appropriate enough for their first meeting. Although, technically he has seen her before. “…your letter. I’m responding now.” Hanbin jumps a little when she looks up. “Holy shit. You’re…really…just like the girl in my head.”
As the second ticked on the watch resting on yoona’s thin wrist, her patience grew thinner. Her face wore nothing but annoyance. The girl leaned against the backrest and closed her eyes for a second as she rubbed the bridge of her nose trying to ease the tension that was arising within her. When that didn’t seem to work, she proceeded to order herself her 3rd glass of beverage. Her repeated orders invited inquisitive stares from the baristas while speculating if she got stood up by her boyfriend of if she were just trying to drown her sorrows from a bad break up with non-alcoholic beverage. Despite hearing them clearly, yoona couldn’t be bothered about being the centre of meaningless gossip. Right after her order is done, she returned back to her seat situated by the window to resume her wait.
Even if it was for a brief moment, there was something different about the webtoonist, yoona thought in her head. No sense of familiarity, no sense of danger neither is there any sense of anything. That just build even more questions about him. How did he know so much about her life and even have the audacity to draw it out and publicize even the private matters of her life. She had kept her business absolutely private, not even a single soul knew about her struggles, the fear instilled by her dead friend, minyoung down to the smallest details that would haunt her each time she thought about it. A low frustrated sigh left her thin lips after sipping her drink.
She had her book out ready for her to read ever since she set foot in the cafe but yoona was distracted, figdgety and needlesss to say, unable to concentrate even a word on the book. Rather than reading the book, even if it was one thing on earth that keeps her sane, she was just hoping that the webtoonist would just arrive already. just arrive already. Even though she did think of the possibility of him not coming but that thought didn’t quite last long.
Despite her inability to give the book her utmost attention, yoona tried reading it to divert her thoughts. The times new roman font imprinted on the slightly yellowish stale paper eventually worked its magic in capturing her attention. With furrowed brows, her vision was affixed on the pages as her mind visualized and painted the printed words, taking her away from the reality for a moment. All it took was a simple sound coming from the male she had painstakingly waited for to snap her back to earth.
Yoona didn’t immediately look up. Instead, she closed the book first before she did so. Without any form of welcome or greeting, yoona simply wore her usual disposition; the cold, aloof and somewhat untouchable aura that never once left her; the one that she was famous for. “What do you mean by that? the girl in your head...” Her eyes narrowed towards the webtoonist as her pupils widened to display an even fiercer expression than before. The book that was still on the table was kept away in her bag that nestled beside her lap. And she repositioned herself, leaning against the seat with her arms crossed. “Who are you?” Though only being three words, it carried a lot of questions.
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