| everything i didn't say

note: this is a very long one

"people fall in love with the wrong people sometimes..."

— 1874

海の真ん中で,
兩個戰士設置銷售

"y/n, xiaoting. today is the day you'll be leaving to go to joseon, make sure you do your job there, joseon is not the same as london and japan, you need to be strong enough to survive a month there." mr. gregson, a detective and a trusted mentor of y/n and xiaoting stated, his arms folded in his chest.

y/n faced him, while their luggages are carried to the port that will travel to joseon for many days across the sea.

xiaoting nodded, saluting as she narrowed her brows. "of course sir. me and my friend here can survive days without electricity just to do our job." gregson nodded and chuckled.

"i know, i know. don't worry we'll send food and take care of your needs there, you'll be sent to a small house near the school to watch over it everyday." gregson continued, tapping his cigarettes before lighting it up.

he blew a long sigh and the smoke. "also, do not abuse your power there, you'll be seen as someone respectful there, learn how to behave like a real exchange student from a known school in london."

y/n nodded. "we understand your concerns, we'll make sure not to disappoint you."

gregson nodded, dismissing the younger and the older duo. "alright, now you can take your leave."

the two looked at each other before entering the port to joseon and being led to their respective cabins in which they will stay in for a couple weeks.

"alright, now we'll be staying here for a while, if you need something knock at my door alright?" the chinese exchange student stated, looking over at the younger japanese girl who nodded. "yes, i'll be calling out for you when needed." she answered.

and then she entered the cabin, everything seems to be the same, but she really doesn't know what will happen once she takes a step in joseon, as much as what she studied about it, it seems like japan and britain has both started to take interest in that island, and the meiji empire wanted to take over.

this is probably why they were being sent to watch over the school britain and japan are building.

it does not excite y/n or anything, in fact she felt a little nervous, life would be a little different there, no electricity and different way of transportation.

y/n pushes her worries back, because at least she will be able to see a friend there.

===========

두려움에 굴하지 마십시오,
희망이 올 것이다

"yeseo! can you help me with these?" a young girl, petite and over the average height looked up from where she was standing, before heading across where she was called. yeseo stood up and walked over her mom who was slicing up vegetables for dinner.

"here, what do i need to do?" she asked, and her mother looked up to her and pointed to the other bowl of ingredients.

"i think i need help with cutting the ingredients and cleaning them." her mother answered, the young girl followed and did what was asked, until the job was finished and the dinner was served.

"have you heard about the incoming exchange students? they're being sent here along with police officers from great britain and a couple ones from the great empire of japan, this place is getting crowded with foreigners for my own liking." a man, middle aged sat down while eating his dinner, his words firm as he talks to his wife and kid.

yeseo's mother nodded. "i've heard about that too, was it a japanese and chinese exchange students? there had been three other japanese students here and some british ones, it's my first time hearing about the chinese one."

yeseo watched and listen, her eyes going back and forth to her mother and to her father.

"that's right, it pains me to see how japanese people and british are starting to take advantage of us and our island." yeseo's father sighed.

"they were building another school here in this part of island near us, to teach kids here, that's probably why they sent two new exchange students to train them and teach." the man continued.

"will schooling there be mandatory?" yeseo asked, gaining the attention of her parents.

yeseo's mother nodded. "it seems like it is, but it is for the better, there is more opportunities set if you study." mr. kang groans, gripping on his chopsticks.

"either way, we do not have a choice, you will still have to go to that darn school built by those pests."

mrs. kang sighed, placing a hand on mr. kang's trying to calm him down.

"let's just be optimistic about this, at least you will learn new things we didn't know, i want you to work hard for yourself okay?" mrs. kang held yeseo in her shoulders, looking at her with all love.

and yeseo nodded. "yes, i will."

one month have passed and the school building has finally come to an end and completed, from afar yeseo can see a big ship stopping by at the port and a group of sailors were bringing down luggages from the ship.

"yeseo!" a familiar raspy voice calls out to her, and she looks back to see her friend youngeun waving towards her direction. "come on! we have to buy ingredients for lunch." youngeun stated as soon as yeseo reached youngeun.

yeseo looked back at the port before facing youngeun and seeing a familiar tall japanese girl with a seemingly foreigner looking one.

"come bahiyyih, it's probably xiaoting and y/n, they're arriving now." in english, the japanese girl stated and the other girl, yeseo suspects is bahiyyih answered while they were passing by. "it seems like it, let's meet them."

"what are they saying?" youngeun asked, but yeseo shrugged it off as they fled the scene.

===========

"welcome to joseon, yurina and hikaru are busy with helping out at the other town, we came to greet and welcome you." bahiyyih smiled, as they walk through the town some people in the road are looking at them and some are busy with their own lives.

rei nodded. "responsibilities here are tough, even for a student like us." she claimed.

"i am looking forward to see ms. kawaguchi, but it seems like she is burdened with such responsibilities." xiaoting muttered as they walk down the road, their luggages being taken to the house they were suppose to stay in.

y/n stops with her steps. "i hope you remember she agreed into you calling her yurina." xiaoting nodded and sighed. "i do remember, but it seems to have always slip out of my mind."

"ms. huening! ms. naoi! it's good to see the two of you here and welcome to you too ms. shen and ms. higuchi. we will be needing the help of ms. naoi and ms. huening." a young man walked over rei and bahiyyih, seemingly needing some help.

rei and bahiyyih looked at xiaoting and y/n before rei spoke. "i guess we will have to leave, be safe in travelling to the house where you will stay." xiaoting nodded.

"we'll be alright, worry not. you can take your leave now." she bowed and y/n did too as rei and bahiyyih left.

"i guess we'll be off ourselves then." y/n looked at xiaoting before they faced the road again, and there was a voice coming from a afar.

"yeseo! hey wait for me!"

and footsteps, xiaoting and y/n must have not realized it as they were planning where to go before they take a well rest.

"catch me if you can younge—"

a loud thud paired with a splash of warm coffee hits y/n's back, making her wince in the feeling, her black blazer ending up having a wet patch and she can feel the warm sticky liquid hit her back.

"jesus christ!" y/n yelled, facing behind her and seeing a girl sitting from her butt, looking at y/n with horror as another girl catches up.

a woman from the crowd stood up and helped the korean girl stand up.

"stand up there and don't embarrass yourself, apologize to her!" said by the woman harshly as y/n and xiaoting watches.

the korean girl trembles as she stood up and brushed off the dust in her clothes, bowing down.

"i am so sorry! please forgive me!" before y/n could have even replied the woman spoke. "don't do that again next time, it's very disrespectful and embarrassing of you." the woman looked at xiaoting and bowed too.

"i apologize for that behavior, i hope we can help you change your clothes as soon as possible! i am really sorry for that inconvenience caused to you by my daughter." she stated, y/n sighed.

xiaoting on the other hand passed a bag to y/n, gesturing to the woman and the young girl.

"you should go and change your clothes, we can't face mr. yeo looking like that, i'll wait for you at our place." xiaoting stated, before looking at the three koreans. "please do not worry about my friend over here, she is well and fine, just please help her change her clothes because we will have a meeting with mr. yeo as soon as possible."

"right, please lead the way." y/n muttered as the mother look at her daughter and the girl behind watched.

"okay, i'll leave now, take care yeseo." the girl stated before walking away as the yeseo, as y/n assumed waved at the girl.

the woman sighed in relief. "thank you for being much understanding, now please follow me at our place."  

the walk to the kang family house was not too far, it wasn't fun either.

she entered the house, excusing herself.

"yeseo, go take the visitor in that room to help her change her clothes and clean." the yeseo girl nodded as her mother left the scene and now y/n and yeseo are left at the main hall of the house.

"i'm sorry for accidentally spilling a warm coffee in you, please forgive me!" yeseo once again apologizes walking over y/n and took the bag she was holding.

"i shall help you clean your clothes." she continued. y/n sighed and entered the same room where yeseo led her.

yeseo placed down the bag on the floor and was about to go outside to get a container of water and a cloth when y/n spoke.

"i accept your apology, my name is higuchi y/n, what's yours?" y/n asked, yeseo turned around, feeling like she's being observed from head to toe.

"me? i'm kang yeseo." yeseo answered, her body stiff under y/n's gaze. "alright, that's all." y/n faced away as she took off her blazer and dress shirt, leaving her with her white top, yeseo took it as a cue to walk out and close the door.

yeseo comes back with a container and a small cloth, placing it down the floor, feeling y/n gaze in her as she exits once again.

after some minutes y/n comes out with a new uniform, closing the door while she had her bag with her.

"did you bring the dirty clothes?" yeseo asked, looking over y/n who nodded. "yes, is there a problem...?" y/n asked, her voice firm and sending chills in yeseo's spine.

"uhm, no. but i would be relieved if you give me the job to wash your clothes for you and give it back after, it is my fault it got dirty to begin with." yeseo answered, her voice nervous, waiting for a reply.

y/n thinks of it, before putting it down on the floor. "well then, i'll let you, the next day after tomorrow same time as today i'll come back here and take it. do we agree?"

yeseo nodded, smiling. "yes, do not worry please, you're things are in safe hands." yeseo assured the taller girl.

"i know, i'll take my leave now." y/n nodded and walked out off the house, wearing her shoes.

"please take care of yourself on your way there." yeseo stated as she caught up to y/n, who nodded with a nonchalant expression.

who knew that day would forever change her life?

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