Wind Breaker | 𝘈𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘎𝘰𝘥

ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 9

Mahon...

Jo...

Is equally as shocked as her, locking eyes with her directly. Jay observes Yara's rapid transition from crimson to pallor, as if she'd seen a ghost. Peering behind him, he finds no one.

Thud.

Jay swiftly looks towards the source of the sound, only to find Yara tumbling off the bench, pointing frantically behind him. She remains speechless, gesturing towards nothingness. Panicked, Minu and June rush to her side.

"Hey! What's wrong?!" Minu's urgency cuts through the tension.

"Jay, what did you do?!"

"I did nothing..."

"Stop scaring us!" June's voice trembles with anxiety.

"Ma....." Yara mumbles.

"Ma-what???" June's panic heightens.

Jay approaches Yara, who is still in distress, and gently grasps her shoulder, locking eyes with her. "Are you okay?" he inquires, patiently awaiting her response. Yara's thoughts consume her, forgetting her surroundings as she fixates on the figure still seated on the bench.

[YOU CAN SEE ME?!] The voice startles Yara.

"Eh?!" Yara exclaims, recoiling and pointing, realizing she's the only one who can see him. "You! How?!" Panic tinges her voice as she edges away.

"Yara??!! Who are you talking to?!" Minu's confusion deepens as June scans the empty space Yara gestures towards. Jay remains silent.

[Hey hey, calm down. I won't hurt you, and your friends are panicking...] The voice soothes, noting their expressions. Yara, comprehending his words, glances at her friends. Suppressing laughter at their alarmed faces, she refocuses on the figure, signaling to converse later, which he promptly understands. Yara attempts to quell her nerves, pressing a hand to her forehead as a headache sets in.

"Hey, are you okay now?"

"We can go to the hospital if needed, you know..."

"I'm...fine, just startled..."

"Are you sure?" Minu presses for reassurance.

"Yeah, I'm just exhausted. I'll be going first..." Yara brushes herself off and strides towards her bike. Her departure halts momentarily as Jay's hand seizes her wrist, prompting her to look back. Meeting his gaze, she awaits his words.

"I'm sorry about..... Earlier..." Jay's apology barely audible. Yara meets his stare, offering a nod before freeing her hand from his grasp. With a final glance at the bewildered trio, she departs, leaving them perplexed. They exchange glances, shrugging, before resuming their discussion, Jay lingering on Yara's earlier behavior.

.

.

.

The pale girl gasps for air upon reaching the front gate, breathless with a flurry of questions swirling in her mind. After locking the gate and securing her bike, she pushes open the front door to find Astrid awaiting her eagerly. Seeing Astrid, all her worries seem to dissipate, finding solace in the company of her faithful companion. With a sigh of relief, she embraces Astrid, feeling her energy replenish, finding comfort in his familiar scent.

"[I'm sorry earlier, I really didn't mean to scare you!]" Mahon's voice startles her. She glances up to where he stands and sighs.

"Don't worry, I was just... surprised." Rising from her position, she settles herself on the sofa, waiting for him to speak. Mahon strides towards her slowly, taking a seat beside her.