Stained History PV Eun-ji Finished

Blue in English, Red in Korean

Divination definitely wasn't Eun-ji's favorite class. When she was choosing electives, she knew immediately that she was going to take the Care of Magical Creatures but Divination was not something she thought of too much up until that moment. Admittedly, it was pretty intriguing concept yet unlike others, who seemed excited to learn about their future, she was terrified. Given the state of disarray her family was currently in, she had no interest in finding out what else could go wrong. Luckily, she got herself an excellent deskmate. Somehow, Flash made her feel more secure despite the nature of the class. He kept his promise to mediate between her and the grumpy professor and she in return made sure not to ask stupid questions or overstay her welcome.

Overall, the pair co-existed in perfect harmony. Both of them were hardworkes and their conversations kept flowing naturally as if they knew each other for ages. Peculiar feeling given the fact that they never asked any personal questions. Well they did, just none that actually mattered. The Ravenclaw had a feeling this played a big role in their relationship being such success. They got to know each other’s nature without poking into any uncomfortable topics. Eun-ji supposed it was not necessarily healthy way to deal with their issues but she was so used to keeping things to herself that she simply didn’t know how to bring them up. So far, there were only three people that knew about her situation. One of them was her cousin and the two Hufflepuffs she told only knew small bits that would hardly reveal much of her circumstances, which suited her just fine.

Today the class wasn’t much different from any of the previous ones. They got the instructions and were to work on their Tasseomancy skills. That is until Flash asked about the winter holidays. In theory, it was a harmless question, mostly inquiring about her culture however, in reality it would be hard to avoid mentioning her family with this particular topic. “Well…it might be hard to believe but my mother is actually Caucasian. I don’t think she celebrated Christmas as a child but once she met my father, they both started to do so. He was raised with very Asian values but I suppose they wanted to share the tradition together once they started going out and well…I was born after that so we did celebrate Christmas every year. When it came to my grandparents, I celebrated Chuseok, which is basically autumn harvest festival and Seollal, which is similar to New Year celebration. Unfortunately, those fall on the dates I’m at school now, so I wasn’t able to celebrate them since I started attending Hogwarts.” She paused her explanation then, seemingly lost in her thoughts. Eun-ji enjoyed celebrating those Holidays but it was mostly her grandparents’ thing and they wouldn’t be around to do that from now on “Though I suppose it doesn’t matter now.” That part was barely audible…almost as if she didn’t mean to say it aloud. “That being said, I did stay at Hogwarts for Christmas last year and I think this year will be no different.” She shrugged, trying to appear unbothered by said fact. She was not bitter about the lack of gifts but the fact that there wasn’t even a letter hurt her deeply. “What about you? Are you going home for Holidays?” She aske curiously. Also a fairly harmless question. He could simply answer yes or no, should he prefer not to go into details.

Eun-ji started answering his question in the pattern he came to expect from her. Clearly explained and with very little emotion, almost like a professor explaining a concept from a book. It seemed she had celebrated Christmas all her life, to which he would nod along in interest. The mention of the two other celebrations caught his attention more, only making him wonder what they entailed. As was his penchant, he'd repeat the words once she said them, solidifying them in his mind and attempting the pronounciation. It was the same for new English words he'd hear, and why his vocabulary was so vast. Words and language were important and fascinating to him, more important than any of the classes he was taking at Hogwarts.

"Oh, that's a shame."

Flash was about to launch into questions regarding them, but his words wouldn't reach his mouth before he noticed Eun-ji's melancholy. Instead, she said that it no longer mattered. Those words somehow hurt, an empathetic gut wrenching that remembered the times he himself had said them. Before it could be addressed, she continued by answering about the break itself, saying she planned on staying.

He would recognize the pattern, the covering up and diminishing, as it was a favorite retreat of his as well. His heart wanted to persue, to know what it was that she was greiving, but he wasn't entirely certain it was proper to ask. She had asked him a follow-up question, meaning she desired to leave that conversation behind her. Being polite and acquiesing to her desire to avoid the topic, or being himself and inquiring about something he wanted to understand... well, he could always simply remember the moment and find a better opportunity to excavate the information.

"I'm not, I never do." Flash would answer easily, his eyes darting off to some distant spot in the room. He didn't really intend to say it so bluntly, as though seeing his family was a destable thing. It wasn't, it was complicated. "That is to say... I like to have the opportunity to be alone. I have a big family, and there is always so much going on. It's nice to stay in the castle where there's less people, and I can have some silence and privacy."

His face would redden slightly, feeling that in his distraction about inquiring about Eun-ji's life, he had been careless in depicting his own. He'd rather have painted a more flattering picture of himself and his family, the sacchirine image his mother wanted to portray to the world. At his first boarding school, everyone already knew his family purely by the proximity and the proliferation of his siblings in the town's history. It was horrible, everyone wanted a favor, to talk about their wealth, to dote about his older brothers and their many accomplishments. During his first year at Hogwarts, he relished the fact that no one knew his family. He even changed his name to obscure it further. Thinking on it now, he realized still very few people knew even the vaguest hint of what his family life was like. It was better that way.

"I never liked Christmas much anyway. My mother liked to throw balls near the occasion, there would be strangers everywhere, extra staff called in. So loud. I don't really like receiving presents either. I would usually just get something they wanted me to have, less so things I actually desired." Flash would rub his neck uncomfortably, the honesty a bit more than he would usually be willing to share. The many sleepless nights lately were making it difficult to control his words and tone. "Sorry... I make it sound like I don't love my family, I do."

Flash would drink more of his tea, the point being to empty it while concentrating on the question they wanted answered. Instead, he was more interested in learning more about Eun-ji. All he had to do was recognize the shapes correctly, so he didn't pay much mind to what the divination magic would be focussed on. "I'm curious, you were talking about the holidays you celebrated with your grandparents, what were they like?"

Blue in English, Red in Korean

Flash listened to her explanation as attentively as ever. She liked that about him. Every time they talked, he seemed genuinely interested and yet never pushed her to share more than she was comfortable with. Naturally, Eun-ji did the same for the boy however, that didn't mean she wasn't interested in knowing more. As much as she tried not to care for yet another person, it was so easy to do just that with this particular Slytherin.

"You don't?" She repeated curiously. Not necessarily to make him share more but simply noting the fact aloud. To her surprise though, he did not stop there. The witch found herself leaning closer as he shared more about himself. "Hmm...I can understand that. I did like celebrating Christmas precisely because it was one of the few times my parents took a day off but on most days, I enjoy my alone time too. I suppose I just don't think about it that often since I have no problems in that area." That much was true. While the Hunts started meddling in her life, it has gotten more chaotic and loud but the fact remained that her parents were insane workaholics. Now that her paternal grandparents weren't in the picture, she had PLENTY time to be alone. She wasn’t too bitter about it precisely because she enjoyed some peace and quiet herself. "And as much as I enjoy dancing, I would hate to have balls like that every Christmas." She grimaced just thinking about it. In her home, it was always a very small family event and she liked it that way. She couldn’t imagine how exhausting that must have been for the boy. "As for the gifts...I think I prefer giving rather than receiving them. I mean, I did get some gifts that genuinely made me happy but I don't find that part too important. The thought behind them is what matters to me." The Ravenclaw said thoughtfully. That is why her last Christmas felt so disappointing. There was absolutely no thought spared on her that day and she wondered whether this year would be any different.

Seeing Flash rub his neck felt like a clear signal that he was stepping out of his comfort zone but then again, so was she. Eun-ji already shared far more about herself than she was used to. "Sorry... I make it sound like I don't love my family, I do." The witch shook her head and smiled. It was a smile filled with understanding. "Just because you love someone doesn't mean you have to like everything about them." The Ravenclaw would not meet his eyes as she said this. She felt guilty because she couldn’t do that for her own mother and felt like she was just justifying her own emotions. "My grandma said that thorough our lives, there will be many people we treasure but some are bound to be harder to love than others…" It sounded sad but she firmly believed this to be true. The witch loved her mother dearly but it was also very easy to hate her behavior at times. Perhaps I shouldn’t have said that…

Luckily, Flash managed to deviate the topic before the two of them dove into waters they weren't yet ready for. Sure, it was still somewhat sensitive subject, as she would be talking about things she lost but Eun-ji didn't want to avoid it either. Even if she wouldn't experience those holidays anymore, they were precious memories meant to be shared. "Well…in some ways those two holidays are pretty similar in celebration. We would usually go to Korea to pay respect to the spirits of our ancestors. People wear traditional Korean clothes called hanbok and perform ancestral worship rituals. Chuseok celebrates the harvest and strives for the next year to be better than the last. We would go to the tombs of our immediate ancestors to trim plants, clean the area and offer food, drink, and crops. The rest of the day is spent playing folk games and bonding with the family members. Girls would perform traditional Korean dance and boys would play sports. There would also be plenty of food that had to be prepared since early in the morning. Sometimes it seemed like way too much effort is put into the preparations but in the end, it felt quite rewarding really." She paused for a moment to give her deskmate some time to absorb all the information. He was from a pureblood family so she wasn’t sure if this all wasn’t extremely confusing to the boy. "Seollal is a festival and national holiday commemorating the first day of the Korean calendar so essentially a New Year festival. The celebration usually lasts three days during which, people also go to their hometowns and perform ancestral rites, wear hanbok, eat traditional food, and play folk games. Additionally, children often receive money from their elders after performing a formal bow. We wish our elders a happy new year by performing a deep traditional bow and they reward the gesture by giving us a new year's pocket money as well as offering words of wisdom. I don’t suppose it sounds like too much of a fun to you though, does it?" The witch smiled at the boy next to her. It was clear that she was indeed fond of all these traditions but she wasn’t sure others, unfamiliar with the culture, would feel the same. Perhaps if they experienced it firsthand but was it really interesting to just listen to her ramblings? "Sorry, I’m talking too much, aren’t I?" She was still paying attention to their task of course but even so, Eun-ji felt a bit self-conscious. She hardly spoke this much, especially these days and she didn’t want to become an annoyance to Flash.

Eun-ji did not balk or side-eye him about his comments, though previous knowledge of her understanding nature ought to have made it obvious. He could almost hear the sounds his mother made in the car when he spoke his mind, scoffing and sighing, burdened by his impetuousness. The reality was that very few people cared about Flash being perfect more than his family. Narcissists are what Darius called them. Because of them, Flash was always doing gymnastics to avoid giving people the opportunity to judge him. It was difficult to feel safe, even when calmly drinking tea with a girl as kind and calming as Eun-ji.

"Ah... you know, I didn't think about it like that. I wonder if I'll see my father this summer..." He was relating, his father was the patriarch and therefore expected to keep the family business running smoothly. With stables all across the UK, and patrons even further away, he was more often traveling than spending time at home. When he thought of it, it was probably likely he went home for Christmas. Flash wouldn't know, he hadn't been home for Christmas for three years.

As the conversation continued, Eun-ji spoke an opinion nearly identical to Flash's own. "That's right, you know ballet. What bad luck that I didn't get to see you dancing. Do you know other styles, waltzes and the like?" Though most of the time his eyes were lidded and tired, the interest this brought him lightened them up so that they glimmered in the lights around the room. Learning to dance was the only thing that made the endless balls tolerable. Well, that and experimenting on the guests with how to talk. It was because of Valerius' guidance and the limitless supply of people he would never see again that he got to practice his speech and how to use words effectively to sway an opinion. That was what passed for entertainment.

As she talked about gifts, Flash's countenance would quiet again. That was the idea, gifts were meant to be meaningful because of who was giving them and what it said about their feelings for the person receiving them. Flash himself enjoyed pestering his retainer nonstop to find the perfect gift for his friends' birthdays, though he tended to think of it more like a puzzle with a win or lose condition. He himself avoided presents so deftly that he had received very few, it was almost as though he feared their reaction if he did not appreciate it properly. That's what gifts were, expectations of gratitude.

"That sounds lovely. I very nearly wish I could join your family during the holidays." Flash's brow would scrunch, the pieces didn't fit. Her parents took the time off, a small family gathering, presents that were meaningful... Why didn't she want to return home? "Yet you're staying here..."

Flash wouldn't outright push her to explain, merely acknowledge the discrepancy. Another sip of the tea would see it nearly empty, meaning it wouldn't be long before they would perform the steps to make the leaves at the bottom readable. In the end, they were still in class, he imagined he would miss these relaxing afternoons once they moved on to other subjects. Eun-ji would smile at him, easing some of the tension building in his shoulders. He always seemed tense in some way, always straining. Her presence was almost like a blanket, a shield between him and the coldness of the world.

"Yes... that's true." Flash would look at her with a soft smile, but her gaze was elsewhere, looking at nothing. She continued with an anecdote from her grandmother, one he had not heard expressed before. Hard to love... he felt it described himself. "Hmm... that makes sense. We all have our troubles, bad choices we make... I wonder... how you can tell whether loving someone is worth it. When is it so hard that it is bad for you?"

It was a tangent he didn't intentionally take, a place his mind went that he didn't want it to go. Love was complicated, relationships were complicated. He was sure there was no obvious cutting point between hard to love and outright toxic. "Sorry, I shouldn't just... tie love to worth. Forget what I said."

The conversation turned over a new leaf as Eun-ji explained the holidays in a fair amount of detail. Flash would lean his head onto his hand, soaking it in like a sponge. His imagination had been mostly dormant lately, most of his time was spent being tired and paranoid, or trying to study and practice. It had been a long time since he learned about something new and interesting that grabbed his attention.

He tried to think of what the days must have been like, waking up early to cook and tending to family's gravesites with such respect... it was certainly foreign to him. Rituals and folk tradition were not a part of his life, visits to ancestors were sporadic and normally the sites were taken care of by caretakers. When he thought about it, he would much prefer to be laid to rest in the more respectful culture, remembered and cherished long after he was gone, rather than left in some family plot to rot, judged by the legacy he'd leave behind. It was bad enough thinking about his own death, worse to think about the time that came after it.

"That sounds amazing." Flash's voice became extra soft, lost in a daydream. Perhaps he was romanticizing it, thinking of being a part of a family that would spend so much time so closely knit. The more likely truth is that there were just as many dysfunctional families in Korea as in England. "And the other one?"

She described the New Years celebration, how it went on for several days, and how they celebrated their culture and got money and wisdom from their elders. Truth be told, he found that one sounded much more exhausting. Three whole days... he wondered if he would have hated that as a child. Certainly it would depend on how fun the games and traditions were, or the company he had with him. He certainly didn't want to hear any 'wisdom' from his grandparents. They were one of the last people he'd go to for such a thing, let alone the money. Of course, that was easy for him to think, being that he never had to worry about having enough money for something in his life.

"I wonder. It's so different that it's hard to imagine." Flash would still be looking off dreamily, stuck in the cloud he was on. He was brought back to earth when Eun-ji asked him if she was talking too much, eliciting a surprised shake of his head. "Oh-- no, please, I'm just lost in my own world, trying to picture it. I'm grateful that you are willing to share it all so patiently. Really, the way you talk, it's very easy to listen. I'd love to know even more, actually."

With that, Flash would take the last sip, leaving the small amount that was needed for the reading. Following the instructions precisely, he started to prepare the cup with the dust and leaves left behind. Turning it upright with the correct orientation of the handle, he presumed the action was performed correctly, the reading should be accurate. Admittedly, he ought to have focused more on the question, but he could presume what it would be about. Family. That was the discussion they were having, after all. Moving the cup towards Eun-ji, he'd have a parchment and quill still off to the side to do the assignment.

"Alright... what do you think, what does it say?" Flash would sigh first, detaching from the more simple and pleasing part of his day back to reality.

Blue in English, Red in Korean

Flash didn’t talk about his family too much so it wasn’t easy to put the pieces together yet it was pretty clear his situation was rather complicated. They both seemed to have a fair amount of worries when it came to their relatives. So his father is also sparsely home. Her brain evaluated after one of his comments. The circumstances may have been different for both of them but it was a small insight into the boy’s life, which was shrouded in mystery for most part.

“Well practice in the ballroom quite often so perhaps you can stop by one of these days? I promise I won’t ask you to save me this time.” She said with a smile. “And yes, I do some ballroom dances as well. Not as much as ballet and there are some I do better than others but I learned most of them to at least some degree. Waltz and tango are my favourite however except for the school balls I don’t have any opportunities to enjoy those…and even then it’s hard to find a partner who would feel the same.” At least she wasn’t too lucky in that area so far. Even when she went with Lucia, who was good at dancing, her ballroom dance skills were at the beginner level and Eun-ji had to teach her a lot. She still enjoyed the event of course but still… “What about you? Do you like dancing?” The witch assumed he was an excellent dancer considering he had to attend so many balls at home but being good at something didn’t necessarily mean you had to like it.

"That sounds lovely. I very nearly wish I could join your family during the holidays." The girl stifled a chuckle, making sure not to disturb the class. “You know what? If you did, I think you might have a better time than me at this point.” Taking his family background into account, Flash would be no doubt deemed a worthy guest by the Hunts. They would not ruin the Christmas for him for sure. Eun-ji tried not to be bitter about said fact but it was not easy and she would not comment on his last remark either. She feared it would make her too vulnerable in front of her deskmate. He is probably not interested anyway.

After that, they both sipped their tea in silence, perhaps pausing to gather their thoughts and yet none of that seemed to prevent them from continuing the conversation eventually. Seamlessly slipping back into it. “No that’s okay. I see what you are saying. I suppose the biggest trouble is that we can’t choose who we love and so it’s naturally hard to let them go even if you realize they might not be worth it? That is if manage to figure that out in the first place.” She shrugged, not minding his words in the slightest. Love was hard and sometimes it was indeed bad for you however fighting it was even harder, which honestly sucked.

Luckily, her description of the Korean holidays and traditions seemed to lighten up the mood for the pair. Flash might have had a hard time imagining all the stuff but he assured her it was interesting to him nonetheless, which made her relax a bit. “Well…there is plenty to tell but I suppose class is not the best place to rant about it. Perhaps we’ll get to talk another time?” She would like that. Eun-ji enjoyed talking to Flash but they were done drinking their tea so it was time to do some work instead of her chattering about her culture. The professor was unpleasant enough as it was, she didn’t want to find out what he would be like if she messed up their assignment.

Taking the tea cup from the Slytherin, she gazed at the sediment settled at the bottom of it, sincerely hoping to see something positive. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried, Eun-ji only saw three symbols and none of them was even remotely close to being good. “Well…” she grimaced a little as she started her reading from the bottom. It made sense to her to start from the past. “First I think I’m seeing a fox.” Well at least it’s not a dog. Small comfort but still… “Are you perhaps unlucky when it comes to friends?” She asked curiously. The witch didn’t want to push him to answer and he didn’t have to elaborate beyond saying yes but she needed to know if she was right in her reading. “You don’t have to tell me the details if you don’t want to. Just let me know if I’m making sense?” In all honesty, she would love to hear more but it was not her place to pry. “The next one looks like a cross.” That one would be hard to misread. “So you are probably going through some difficult stuff right now? Or in the near future? That sounds tough,” she sighed. There was no pity in her voice. People hardly ever appreciated that emotion and she was no different. “If you ever need help with something, do ask me. I’m not the most capable person out there but I’d like to believe there is something I could do? I mean…you helped me too without even knowing who I was…I say you deserve a little help back.” The Ravenclaw offered with a soft smile. He didn’t have to take it but she wanted to reach out anyway. God knows she would appreciate some support herself these days. She just didn’t know how to ask for it and she had a feeling Flash might have the same problem. Though that was a pure guess on her side. “The last one looks like a lamp to me so expect some big revelation in the future. I don’t think I can elaborate much more on that one. After all, it’s still a secret for now.” She paused then. “But perhaps it will be a good one?” She said hopefully.

Flash's smile would widen again when Eun-ji invited him to come see her practice. He wouldn't realize how pleased his expression was, bordering on smug. While it was already clear that they got along, their partnership in the class being a good example, it felt good to get such swift validation. She may have wanted to show her skill, or spend more time with him, either way it meant she wanted him around. Flash adored being wanted. He'd nod along to her answer blissfully, a question following.

"Yes, I love it." Flash would snap out of his enamored look, but the smile stayed. "I'll be your partner, should the unbearable need to dance arise."

Flash would laugh at his own comment, quietly, covering his mouth. He was embellishing, tickled by the idea of an emergency dance session. He felt the need to clarify, "Well... I can't promise I'll always be prepared. I've been dancing most of my life though. It's not only Christmas, my mother will find any excuse to throw a ball. Learning to dance at them is what made them more tolerable. I mean... more entertaining."

To her comment about him being better capable of enjoying time with her family than even herself, he'd not pry. It was both clear that something was wrong and that it was something she did not want to openly address. It wasn't the right time, but he would note that something was amiss.

Flash enjoyed the assuredness with which Eun-ji added her thoughts and perspective to conversation, not afraid of speaking her mind. He paid careful attention to her words, which ones she chose to use, and her body language. 'I suppose', with shrugging. It seemed almost as though love was untamable, something people were party to, whose path was witnessed rather than implemented. His eyes would wander the walls, asking himself whether he was able to choose who he loved. Decidedly not. It reminded him of how he grew to love Willow, and how her separation from him had made him realize how important love was to him, how much he needed it in his life. Thinking of Valerius... he couldn't help but wonder if love wasn't just another tool for control. He'd just stay silent and thoughtful, distracted momentarily.

Once the discussion about the holidays wrapped up, they were set on the task of interpreting the leaves. There was a disconcerting pause, a lack of enthusiasm on Eun-ji's part to speak up. Knowing her work ethic, he didn't presume it was because she was struggling to read it. He'd lean slightly, trying to see what she was seeing with some anxiety. When he thought about it, family was probably the very last thing he should have been concentrating on. For the past, a fox. Flash wrote it down slowly, grimacing slightly as she tried to interpret it.

"I wouldn't say that... I am quite blessed." Flash had been hurt, attacked, betrayed, but never by his friends.

There was an open textbook beside them declaring the specifics of the readings, and Flash took the time to refresh his memory on the fox. She would console him by saying he didn't need to explain. "That's alright. I think perhaps I had been concentrated on my family. It would not be surprising to hear that we have many jealous or scheming friends. Our name has influence, we are often in the public eye. My oldest brother is a politician, much of the family is involved in his work."

The next one would make him flush, her sympathy an arrow in his heart. It was patently true, but the truth hurt, and he feared being pitied for it. Suffering was a perfect description of his life, but he did everything in his power not to admit it. He didn't want Eun-ji knowing the pain he was in, but the declaration of the reading caused such emotion in him that it took all of his effort just to remain placid. He'd just stare off into the distance, gathering composure and calm enough to speak with an unwavering voice, "Yes... my family and I have been a bit at odds lately. It's been difficult."

His only hope was the final part, the future. Partly, he didn't want to know. Flash was only as put together as he was through emotional and physical endurance, and the naïve belief that things would get better so long as he was always trying his hardest. He knew that wasn't actually true though, that bad things happened to good people, and that hard work was not always rewarded. It was hope and faith that kept him sane, and without them he didn't know what he would do. If the leaves proclaimed death... what would he do?

That particular reading averted, the actual one was somehow more alarming. Flash's eyes would widen, and he would take the cup to observe it himself. "Really?" There was barely controlled panic in his words. Eun-ji kindly tried to insinuate it was a nice secret, but there was only one that Flash was certain of. One that his family was trying to tell him to never speak, one that Darius had tried to get him to spill that he would not. Was Darius going to find the truth, was Valerius going to turn himself in, would Flash be the one condemning him? Suddenly, his thoughts were very loud. Overwhelmingly so.

Clearing his throat, running his hands down his face slowly, Flash would not wish to make a scene out of this. He'd be devastated if his behavior made Eun-ji change her mind about wanting him around. "Well... I can't say it will be good, but I think that's accurate. I feel exposed. Sorry for... well, I guess the leaves are working as intended. I should have concentrated on something I was more prepared to handle."

Sparing whatever conversation they might have as a result of these revelations about the things Flash did not ever talk about, it would be Flash's turn to read leaves. Taking her cup, he was hoping this reading would lighten the mood.

Blue in English, Red in Korean

Eun-ji nodded once Flash explained the fox probably didn't refer to his friends. It was but a small relief yet a relief nonetheless. "I see. I was never fan of discussing politics as it often seems to turn conversations sour. It must be hard being in the centre of it. People can be vicious at the best of times but high ambitions and jealousy tend to make everything so much worse." She would know...her grandparents were plenty ambitious and incredibly vicious. She always thought life without any goals whatsoever sounded dull but being overly obsessive was not a good alternative either even if you were an incredible person. Good ambitions could make life unbearably hard too. Like her parents, who simply wanted to save everyone, only somewhere along the way they forgot their closest ones needed them just as much as the strangers did. She was curious to hear more but decided not pry any further. The witch got her clarification and moved on, just like she promised.

Despite this decision however, the conversation kept going in a similar direction for the second symbol as well. Everything was rather grim and apparently very centred around Flash's family. Somebody might have felt awkward in her position but Eun-ji felt more connected to the boy than ever. She knew what it was like to be at odds with your relatives both the ones you hated and the ones you loved. The latter being much harder for her personally. No matter how annoying Hunts could be, the Ravenclaw was willing to move them inside their home if everything fell back into place with them. Alas, that was simply not meant to be. She wondered what kind of issues Flash referred to. Judging from his subtle fight to keep his composure, it couldn't have been pretty. "That does sound difficult. I don't think I can solve those problems for you but if you ever need someone to listen, I'll be around." Eun-ji offered again but would push him to do so now if he wanted to avoid the topic. He could do it in his own time...or never should he decide to rant to somebody else instead. After all, it sounded like he had at least some good friends so why would he chose her to be the one? "And when I’m not, you can always send a letter?" She added before she could stop herself. The Ravenclaw had to admit it felt good to have the boy open up to her even if he didn't surrender many details. He seemed like someone that didn't like to share so the fact that he was willing to tell her anything made her feel somewhat special. A silly thought of course but she could not help it. Especially since she also shared far more with him than was usual for her. Eun-ji had yet to figure out why that was.

The third symbol and her last attempt to lighten up Flash's mood didn't go well either. It appeared she was doing a good job since something immediately clicked for the boy when she spoke out the last part of the prophecy. For once, she almost wished she was a bad student or someone that could lie easily. Eun-ji was a good liar but most of the time she preferred not to do so. It made her feel all kinds of wrong. So no, she would not lie to the boy even if it sounded tempting. Did she feel sorry for him? Yes. One would have to be without heart not to feel any kind of sympathy after hearing those revelations. Family issues were especially draining and if she was brutally honest, sometimes just sometimes, she felt sorry for herself too. Not that she would ever admit that aloud.

That all being said, the girl did her best not to LOOK sorry in front of the Slytherin. She would smile at him but it was more of a silent understanding than pity. Flash was obviously regretting asking such serious question and he said as much but Eun-ji disagreed. Reaching out unconsciously and gently fixing a loose strands of hair caused by his own action, she considered her next words carefully. "No need to apologize. There are some things we will never be ready to handle well but you can’t avoid them forever either. You needed to know so you asked. After all, how many chances do you get to ask questions about future? It would be a waste to only go for the safe ones, don’t you think? " Only then did she realize what her hand was doing. Have you lost your mind?! Cursing herself inwardly, she retracted the treacherous limb back. "Mian…" Means sorry in Korean - informal "I mean…Sorry," she said bashfully. Eun-ji was definitely not someone who initiated any kind of physical affection but this was the second time she did just that with Flash. It was nothing big of course but considering her nature, it was definitely odd behavior to say the least.

Eun-ji's measured response to his words brought comfort back into his tensed shoulders, like a piece of ice dropped into a scalding drink. He would nod silently, agreeing despite not wanting to appear pitiful. There were certainly worse things than families that were obsessed with social politicking. In fact, Flash was purposely not mentioning just hw much worse it was. That was the secret. Eun-ji however did not seem to outright pity him, almost looking more interested than worried. Perhaps she too had an interest in information.

His vexed expression would break into a small smile when she suggested that he could consult her when he was amidst his 'trials and suffering.' He knew talking to people was helpful, even preferable, but his situation was complex. It wasn't only just problems with belonging or a frustrating family situation, it was dark curses and allegations of murder. He had told a few trusted allies about what had happened to him-- the mark and the eye-- but it had been people who were already entrenched in the hag issue. Troubling Eun-ji with it would only make her aware of how helpless they all really were, how doomed Flash was. It would only be spreading the misery, not healing it.

"You're so kind to offer." Flash would answer, genuine gratefulness in his tired eyes.

Lastly, she would offer him a smile. He'd avert his eyes, embarrassed, but would flinch when he caught sight of her reaching for his face. It wouldn't be pronounced nor would he pull away, no different than anyone else caught off guard. He couldn't help it that the last time a girl's hand reached for his face, it plucked out his eye. He would stay motionless though as she gently moved hair from his face, the kind of careful consideration normally resigned to intimate moments. It would make Flash's stomach turn, not in revulsion but rather fear. Had they become so close that quickly, had this revelation about his troubles made him so vulnerable?

His face would redden madly as she continued to speech, the whole day having taken something of an unexpected turn. He was astounded at her maturity, envious of it. The way she said it reminded him of the person he wanted to be when he was a first year, the kind of person Valerius was. Smart, capable, always above the pain, always stable and helpful. He had worked so hard trying to be that person, ran himself ragged. After the year had expired, he deemed himself a failure, a mess, not good enough. Remembering it then made him feel emotional, so he quickly tried to distract from it.

"It's alright." To assure her, he would reach out to her hand and confidently grasp it. "Shall we see what you've asked of the future? Something safe?"

It would only last a moment before he let go and returned to her own cup. It was a convenient means of changing the subject away from his infinite troubles. He started with the leaves closest to the rim, "First, the past. I can't help but see a bed here. It can't be a chair." Flash would pause, looking seriously into the cup before looking back to Eun-ji. She clearly also knew what the symbols meant without needing to be told, but he was curious whether the words would cause a reaction. "Some kind of sickness. Or a curse. Does that coincide with your question?"

Regardless of her reaction, he would look back down and continue. "A candle." His eyes would shoot back up to make contact with Eun-ji's if she was still looking directly at him. His frantic unease would eventually dissolve as he returned to the comfort of talking about and discovering more about someone else."We both have our secrets then."

Flash would not be as calm when he looked at the last symbol, instead reflexively knotting his brow in confusion. He'd be quiet, attempting to analyze the shape and cross-reference it with all the symbols he knew, eventually going to the open book and looking at it carefully. "I... hold on." Nervousness ate at him, feeling there was no other clear alternative. He hated it. "A club, perhaps. Hopefully not."

He'd lift his face again, but now it would only show worry. Suddenly, he wanted to believe all of Divination was a crock, that it was useless and pointless. He could tolerate pain and suffering as long as it was his own to bear, he felt sick thinking that some danger was looming around her that he might be incapable to prevent. She didn't deserve to be attacked, to be in pain.

Blue in English, Red in Korean

Flash seemed genuinely grateful for her offer. Eun-ji wasn't sure if he would ever take her up on it but she meant every word. She would not push him or pry into his private matters but she would be there should he ever decide he needed help of any kind. It was strange. Recently the witch felt like her personality was being pulled into two different directions. One has grown to be much colder and even more guarded than ever before. She also discovered she had a way with words (not in a good way) and yet there were still people who kept her grounded. People who brought out her gentle and compassionate side that was so prominent in her before the Hunts decided to show up. Why was Flash one of those people remained a mystery to her. After all, they only met recently. For some reason though, her brain didn't deem that information important. Even now as she was reaching out to the boy.

Eun-ji wasn't sure if she was more sorry or grateful for the Slytherin's apparent embarrassment. She couldn't help but feel relieved that she wasn't alone in her awkwardness. Still, the boy managed to regain his composure relatively quickly and even tried to put her at ease by holding her hand. The brief moment made her blush in return and so she was very glad about the change of topic. "Hmm...not sure if safe but I'm hoping for a positive outcome." She replied wishfully. It was about time she got some good news for a change.

Too afraid to look into the cup herself, the Ravenclaw let the boy do the reading. She knew he would do a good job. "Bed is right," she confirmed briefly once he asked about the first symbol. She wasn't too shaken by it. This was about the past and well...the present too she supposed. It was no shocking revelation and she was far more curious about the next two symbols. "A candle?" The girl repeated, sounding somewhat unsure. "I mean...Of course I do. I expect everyone does but I don't really see the correlation." She added honestly. Sure, her grandfather didn't know about magic but they were never planning on telling her paternal grandparents and now that he didn't even remember her or her mother for that matter...who would dare to reveal such thing to him? No, she didn't think that would ever happen. Especially considering his current state. According to her dad, he now also knew about grandma passing away so that one was no longer a secret to him. Perhaps the last symbol connects the dots somehow? She decided eventually.

The last symbol was not coming however. At least not as promptly as the other ones. The sound of pages turning brought Eun-ji back to reality. Strange... Somehow, she doubted Flash had actual trouble reading it. Surely, something must have been wrong. "A club, perhaps. Hopefully not." Ah... Now his behavior finally made sense. Eun-ji frowned at his words. Not unhappily, it was more of a confusion than anything. Leaning to peer into her cup for the first time, she inspected the sediment. "No...you are right. It is a club for sure...it just," she paused for moment. "Doesn't really make sense to me. If I asked what I originally wanted to know it wouldn't surprise me but that's not the case..." The witch sighed. This must have been really confusing for the boy too. "I suppose it's only fair I explain a bit as well." But where do I even start? "My grandparents..." she hesitated for a moment there. How much should she reveal? No, he doesn't need the ugly details to understand the situation. "...had an accident over a year ago. My grandpa ended up in coma and woke up only recently but he suffered a brain damage so he doesn't really remember most things. He has memories of his wife and he eventually recognized my dad. It took him a bit since he mostly remembers his younger version and there are good and bad days but for the most part he can recall who he is." Eun-ji sighed again this time looking somewhat resigned. "As for me...well obviously I'm not part of the time period he is currently stuck in and so I wanted to know if he'll remember something and recognizes me eventually. That is why this confuses me so much." It was not like Flash could solve the enigma for her though. It was frustrating to say the least but she didn't think she could come up with a solution to this particular puzzle. She would most likely just have to wait and see, which sounded like a torture but there was nothing she could do about it. She asked and now she had to bear the consequences.