Ji-hye wakes up from her nap
"Ughhhh, my head…" Ji-hye groaned
Suddenly, she rose from her bed upright, panic settling in.
"KASHIGAMIIIIIIII" she screamed, voice cracking.
a calm but slightly annoyed voice responded.
"Yes?" Kashigami saying it like he had all the time in the world.
Ji-hye inhaled sharply before yelling again.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"
Kashigami blinked. "...What."
"I WOKE UP IN MY WORLD WITH EVERYONE BELIEVING IM DEAD OR THINKING I RAN AWAY. WAS I DREAMING?"
"WHAT? you would still have an attachment to your original world?" finally sitting up. rendered in shock.
Ji-hye stared at him
."WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'WHAT'???
"...It's a long story."
"Explain." Ji-hye crossed her arms,
"Iseren, the world you're in, you are not made from the matter in this world hence. your consciousness will travel in the world you came from, randomly. So. you will have visions from your own world but you don't have a body to interact."
Ji-hye's stomach dropped.
"But. why would they think im dead? WHY IS TIME FLOWING?"
Kashigami shrugged.
"It's simple really." "You don't exist there anymore."
Ji-hye's eye twitched.
"YEAH, WASNT THAT OBVOIUS?!?!?"
"UH."
Ji-hye threw her hands in the air.
"YOU KNOW. I CANT BE SEEN, HEARD, FELT, TOUCHED ETC. ETC.."
Kashigami nodded. "Yes, exactly."
"So....." Ji-hye exhaled sharply, trying to process it.
"So, you don't exist."
"...What. So I literally don't exist in my world anymore."
"Yes."
Silence.
Ji-hye whispered, eyes widening.
"So. Ha-eun."
"Ha-eun?"
Ji-hye gritted her teeth.
"My best friend."
"Is she.." Kashigami hesitated.
"....." A pause. She didn't even realize she was shaking.
"Oh" Kashigami's expression darkened.
"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH GOD. THIS IS TERRIBLE" her voice cracked.
"I- Im sorry."
Ji-hye clutched her chest.
"NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. THIS. NO. NONONONONONONO. WHY WOULD SHE CRY?"
Kashigami lowered his gaze.
"I.."
"HEY KASHIGAMI CANT WE TALK TO HER? MAYBE VISIT HER AND SHOW HER IM ALIVE"
"No."
"NONONONONONOO. WHY CANT I"
"Because."
Ji-hye took a deep breath.
"Because WHY?"
Kashigami sighed. "It would cause more problems."
Ji-hye's voice cracked with desperation. "HOW?! WHAT'S WORSE THAN YOUR FRIEND THINKING YOU'RE DEAD?!"
"Well, you are technically not supposed to exist. You're an anomaly. Your world will react if you show yourself in an unruly manner."
"But- how?" Ji-hye's mind raced.
"Look. it's simple. I cant explain it."
"Sh-she was...broken. My family they...my father."
"I can't."
"Can you at least tell me what's happening to her?"
"She's grieving." Ji-hye swallowed.
"But."
"She's grieving." she starts breaking down.
"OKAY STOP CRYING, We'll figure something out"
She wiped at her face roughly.
"Ok." Ji-hye nodded.
"So as I said, it'll take long like 500 years. But seeing how you have an attachment to your original world....it shouldn't take long to at least send something"
"Okay." Ji-hye nodded.
"Im going to have a headache because of this"
"I'm sorry, but you're the only one who can help me."
"Fine." Kashigami clicked his tongue. "So, do you have anything from your world you want to use to communicate?"
Ji-hye thought for a moment before pulling something from her pocket
"Um, yes. My phone."
Kashigami stared at it. "Alright, we can use that. Let me just get ready."
"Ok, let's go." Ji-hye clutched her phone tightly.
"Wait, hold on."
"What is it?"
Kashigami groaned dramatically. "...Sigh, I can't believe I'm making a space warp just for you to communicate."
"Thank you, Kashigami."
"It's not for free." Kashigami side eyed her.
Ji-hye's smile immediately vanished. "What do you mean?"
"Im not doing this for free."
"Wait- WHAT?!?!?"
"SHHHHHHHHH"
"Im sorry, but- wait- how?"
"SHHHHHHHHH"
Ji-hye huffed. "Ok… fine…"
Kashigami sighed again before snapping his fingers. Signature Kashigami jutsu
"Okay, are you ready?" Kashigami asked.
"I think so." Ji-hye took a deep breath.
"Alright, let's go."
"Ok."
Ji-hye looks at her phone. It's the same phone she had before she came to Iseren.
"So, this is going to work?"
"Yes."
"Ok, let's do it."
"Alright."
"So, are you going to text her now?"
Ji-hye : Ha-eun. Its me. Ji-hye.
Ji-hye: Im sorry i didnt reply to you.
Ha-eun: ??????!!!!
Ha-eun: JI-HYE!!!!!!!
Ha-eun: HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE??!!!???
Ha-eun: FUCK YOU, YOU HAD ME WORRIED SICK. WHERE ARE YOU?!?!
Ha-eun: YOU HAVE BEEN MISSING FOR THREE DAYS DEAD SILENT. IM GONNA KILL YOU.
Ji-hye : haha sorryyyy
The messages kept coming.
For one, She wasn't dreaming. She wasn't imagining things.
For the second, she knew Ji-hye was alive.
For the first time in days, she felt something lift from her chest.
Ha-eun: NO, YOURE NOT SORRY. I AM GOING TO KILL YOU. WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU.
Ji-hye : I CANT BREATHE
Ha-eun: OK BUT WHAT HAPPENED? WHY ARE YOU NOW TEXTING ME ALL OF A SUDDEN
Ji-hye: well, long story
Ha-eun: Ok then explain
Ji-hye: I'm not dead.
Ha-eun: YES I CAN SEE THAT
Ji-hye: ok, ill tell you.
Ji-hye: ok so basically..
Ji-hye: I'm not ON EARTH ANYMORE
Ha-eun: ?? what do you mean WHAT KIND OF JOKE IS THAT?
Ji-hye: I'm ON another dimension, called iseren.
Ha-eun: what the fuck.
Ha-eun: so your telling me, that the reason why you didn't text me back, or even show up for three days is because
Ha-eun: BECAUSE YOURE IN ANOTHER WORLD?
Ji-hye: that's the case.
Ha-eun: WHAT DO YOU MEAN THATS THE CASE.
Ji-hye: ok look. this is the first time I'm communicating to anyone in my OWN world FROM THE OTHER WORLD.
Ha-eun: WHAT THE FUCK? SO YOUR TELLING ME. YOU ARE IN AN ANOTHER WORLD IS THIS SOME SORT OF ISEKAI?
Ji-hye: I have no idea how you are still receiving messages from my number, but. I have this god with me who made it happen.
Ji-hye: his name is Kashigami
Ha-eun: KASHIGAMI??!!!
Ji-hye: yep
Ha-eun: SO YOU JUST FELL INTO ANOTHER WORLD AND YOU MADE FRIENDS WITH A GOD
Ha-eun: WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO JI-HYE.
Ji-hye: no, seriously, its me
Ha-eun: OK IF YOURE JI-HYE PROVE IT.
Ji-hye: what do you want me to say?
Ha-eun: OH IDK HOW ABOUT SOMETHING ONLY I KNOW.
Ji-hye: oh god
Ha-eun: YEP
Ji-hye: ummm
Ji-hye: I hate math.
Ha-eun: ok.
Ha-eun: that doesn't prove anything. DUMBO.
Ji-hye: sigh
Ji-hye: I'm 18 years old, I was born in Incheon. Moved to Seoul. I have a father, and a mother.
Ha-eun: still proving nothing
Ji-hye: oh come on.
Ji-hye: we had a conversation yesterday
Ha-eun: about what
Ji-hye: the school is gonna open soon
Ha-eun: nuhuh, still proves nothing
Ji-hye: oh, fine.
Ji-hye: YOURE A LESBIAN.
Ha-eun: I-
Ha-eun: OMG
Ha-eun: JI-HYE
Ji-hye: heyo
Ha-eun: THIS IS JI-HYE?!!!!!!!
Ji-hye: ye, it is
Ji-hye: did I pass the test?
Ha-eun: OH MY GOD.
Ha-eun: JI-HYE
Ji-hye: hi
Ha-eun: WHY ARENT YOU CALLING ME?
Ji-hye: IDK IF ITS possible for us to have a call
Ha-eun: oh
Ha-eun: BUT-
Ji-hye: IDK its the first time. lets see....
Ha-eun: so, you can talk through the phone.
Ji-hye: not exactly, but yeah
Ha-eun: ok, can you video call me?
Ji-hye: I mean I guess, idk.
Ji-hye hit the video call button, heart pounding
. A few rings later, the screen lit up.
"Ji-hyeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ITS REALLY YOU" Ha-eun practically screamed, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Yup, its me" Ji-hye waves.
"HOW BIG IS THAT ROOM?" Ha-eun's hands shook trying to get a better view of Ji-hye's surroundings.
Ji-hye turned her camera, showing the massive space. "Its pretty big. and I live in the palace. there are like 40 rooms here"
"WHAT, HOW?" Ha-eun's jaw practically hit the floor.
"Uh.... long story." Ji-hye chuckled.
"Ok then." Ha-eun muttered, still trying to process it all.
"So....." her expression shifted. "...how's everything over there?" Ji-hye hesitated
"Not good, actually."
"Really?"
"Yeah, everyone thinks you're dead." Ha-eun's voice dropped.
"Oh."
"You don't sound surprised."
Ji-hye sighed, leaning against the bedpost. "Well, it's because I'm not."
"What do you mean you're not?"
"I was sleeping and I had a 'dream' where I saw all of you crying and stuff."
"WAIT YOU CAN SEE US WHILE DREAMING?"
"Uhh yeah I guess so."
"SO YOU'RE TELLING ME YOU SAW EVERYTHING, HEARD EVERYTHING, AND YOU DIDN'T BOTHER TO SAY ANYTHING?!" Ha-eun's voice cracked.
"I COULDN'T!" Ji-hye shot back.
"Why?"
"Its complicated"
"Ok then"
"So, what happened over there?"
Ha-eun groaned. "Ugh, fine." She crossed her arms. "Well, everyone was worried sick about you."
"I could tell," Ji-hye muttered.
"Your mom, especially."
Ji-hye scoffed. "Yeah, I could tell."
"OKAY IF YOU KNOW IT ALL MISS KNOW IT ALL WHY ARE YOU EVEN ASKING?"
"SORRY! "What's up with her, though?""
"Hm?"
"She looks....different." Ji-hye frowned
"Oh, well, it's because of your 'disappearance'." Ha-eun's voice was flaT
Ji-hye's voice tinged with bitterness.
"Is she finally showing some care when she treated me so bad all these years?"
"Yeah, I know right? It's kind of weird. But she does seem really sorry, and sad." Ha-eun's tone softened with sympathy.
"It doesn't matter, I don't want to see her." Ji-hye's words were sharp
"Why not?"
"I don't feel anything towards her."
"She's your mother." Ha-eun's words were gentle
"Yeah, she is. Because of her i had to let go off all the fun things in my life. We used to sneak out to actually have fun. and she used to hit me if I got caught" Ji-hye's hand clenched.
Ha-eun offered a soft smile
"As long as you're happy."
"Thanks." Ji-hye's lips twitched.
"Anyway, how have you been?
"OH I FORGOT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO HIM"
"Him?"
"MY FRIEND KASHIGAMI, HE'S THE ONE WHO'S HELPING ME" Ji-hye beamed
"Wait, what WHAT THE FUCK HOW DOES HE LOOK 4K ON A VIDEO CALL" Ha-eun's jaw dropped,
"this BITCH PERPOSUFULLY MADE HIMSELF LOOK LIKE AN ANGEL" Ji-hye chuckled
"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH HIM." Ha-eun rolled her eyes.
"I KNOW RIGHT?" Ji-hye responded
"HEY HEY. STOP. DON'T INVOLVE ME IN YOUR CONVERSATIONS." Kashigami's voice was dry, almost tired.
"why are you so salty, kashigami" Ha-eun teased.
"because im a god and im tired. that is why." Kashigami sighed dramatically
"YEAH SEE HA-EUN THIS GUY IS SO LAZY" Ji-hye grinned, leaning back. "He literally has 12 people working under him "
"that is right. im the great-" Kashigami began, before getting cut off.
"Lazy" Ha-eun interrupted with a sarcastic smile.
"Yup." Ji-hye said
"so." Ha-eun leaned in
"Is there anyone who knows you're still alive?"
"No just you." Ji-hye responds
"Really?" Ha-eun's eyes widened
"yeah."
"That's kind of sad."
"It's okay, I can handle it."
"Alright. SO when are you coming back?"
"Um, Idk."
"I don't really have a way to get back."
"WHAT YOU MEAN? WHAT ABOUT THE GOD WHO BROUGHT YOU THERE" Ha-eun's voice raised,
"Um, its not Kashigami."
"THEN WHO?"
"A God called Ezekiel"
"THIS GOD SOUNDS DUMB."
"HAHA YEAH HE IS."
"So, what's the deal with that God?"
"Um, its kind of complicated."
"What's wrong with you two?"
"He's a fucking idiot"
"And also, he's kind of the reason why I'm stuck here."
"Oh, okay. I think I get it."
"Hmmmm. who knows. maybe we can look for a way to get you here too? "
"Oh, that sounds fun!"
"Yeah, I'm sure we could figure something out.
"Maybe we could have a sleepover or something."
"OOOO Yeah, that would be fun."
"Okay, but for now, I have to go. The teachers are calling me.
"Alright, have fun. And I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Bye, Ji-hye."
"Bye, Ha-eun."
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