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“I don’t need this!”

 

Little Sooyoung who’s excitedly playing up the swing heard a scream by accident. As soon as that, she went down, then walked slowly with great curiosity visible on her adorable face.

 

“I don’t need it! I don’t need it! I don’t need them!”

 

The screams were becoming more and more loud. Sneakily, Sooyoung peeked out from behind a tree. She saw a little girl, probably younger than her, throwing things into the river.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

Innocently, little Sooyoung asked the girl.

 

That girl turned around straightaway, startled to find someone else in this park.

 

Sooyoung approached her, curious to see what she was doing. Her eyes stopped at a set of objects that had been thrown away by this child,

 

Trophies.

 

“Why are you throwing them away?”

 

“I don’t need them!” The little girl answered Sooyoung's question abruptly as she prepared to throw her trophy again.

 

“Don’t!” Sooyoung shouted, her little feet running fast tried to stop the girl's hand. To the hand that she’s holding onto, little Sooyoung could tell that the girl was trembling. She looked at the girl's eyes, “Hey, you’re so pretty!”

 

Sooyoung brought out her sweet smile.

 

“Why did you throw this away? These are very valuable items. I even find it difficult just to get one of these.”

 

Sooyoung put back the trophy in her hand to where the others were.

 

Without warning, the girl cried.

 

Little Sooyoung could only stand still staring at the girl who’d crouched holding her knees on the side of the river. She’s waiting, waiting till the girl's cry subsided. Although it just stopped long after.

 

Sooyoung approached the girl and squatted down in front of her.

 

“Dad... Daddy doesn’t love me.” The words came out from the girl's mouth. “...he doesn’t love me!”

 

Little Sooyoung the girl's head softly. She felt sorry for this girl, smart but not appreciated. In contrast to her father who was always there for her. Little Sooyoung never thought of not receiving the love from her father. She became sad.

 

The girl's cry finally subsided. Little Sooyoung smiled.

 

This kid is beautiful.

 

“Hey, look at this!” Sooyoung exclaimed.

 

Her hand picked up a turtle by the river, “Isn’t it cute?” She showed it to that girl.

 

The girl raised her head, staring at the turtle that’s in Sooyoung's hand. She smiled in instant.

 

“Will you believe me if I say I used to whine all the time? I wasn’t even smart like you, just a crybaby.” Little Sooyoung started to tell. “...but there was a friend of mine who said I can’t go on like that. I must have my own dignity. I have to be strong.”

 

She continued, “…don’t let people know you’re weak.”

 

The cries of that girl were now completely gone. Her snort was being wiped away from time to time as she sobbed from the cries. She carefully checked out to Sooyoung and the turtle one after the other.

 

“…I made my own ‘dignity’, so that other kids wouldn’t mock me. But I’ve lost it.” Her face changed in pairs, “But you, you already have yours.” She pointed to the trophies by the river. “...don’t throw it away.”

 

The girl suddenly stood up, walked to the side to take all of her trophies. She brought them to Sooyoung.

 

“My dad said that turtle is the greatest animal in the world.” Sooyoung examined the girl, “...you know why?”

 

The girl again wiped away the remnants of tears on her face before shaking her head. She doesn’t know.

 

“Cause they can live for hundreds of years. Though they are slow, they can travel around the world freely, knowing what the others can’t know.” Little Sooyoung laughed, a crunchy laugh. “They're great, aren’t they?”

 

The girl fell silent, just nodding at the explanation she’d just heard.

 

But Sooyoung wasn’t finished, “...especially you who’s fast. With all your intelligence, with all your dignities, you can be more powerful than this cute turtle.” Sooyoung touched the petite turtle's head and laughed as it quickly hid it.

Just then she remembered something she hadn’t done, which she should have asked and declared from the beginning. She got up and faced right at the girl. Sooyoung reached out her hand.

 

“I am Sooyoung.”

 

That girl was stunned for a moment before she realized what Sooyoung wanted. She then got up following Sooyoung, right in front of her. She held out her hand to greet that tiny hand which still hanging in the air.
 

“...Yeri.”

=====

“I've been waiting for you, Joy.”

 

The girl in front of her was without doubt going to immediately attract the attention of people around. Not just because she’s beautiful, but the accessories she wore are kind of quirky. All her ornaments were inseparable from a specific object, turtles.

 

Joy's gaze stopped at a toy hanging in this girl’s bag on the bench. The thing she now remembered she’d once gave her, a long time ago when they were kids, before this girl joined her parents out of town. Animation character that she once loved and lately turned into a popular catch-it game,

 

...Squirtle.

 

“You’re still keeping it?” Joy asked.

 

“I'm never gonna throw it away.”

 

The girl stated seriously.

 

“I should have known that it was you at college...” Joy smiled, “...Yeri.”

 

She remembered back then when she and Wendy had seen Yeri laughing with her friends. Her memory’s really bad. She even forgot the toy that Yeri brought was actually a gift from her.

 

Yeri just shrugged, “I was just luring you. But I guess you’re already senile at this age.”

 

They sat on that bench, facing the river. The wind hit them both gently, as gently as the memories that came back into their minds. A smell of air entering the lungs relieved Joy a little when she found out that it was Yeri who had been sending her those letters. One of her childhood friends.

 

Her meeting with Yeri could be counted in the limited fingers on one hand, always at the same place. But the brief meetings were memorable for her. For herself who had wanted a younger sister. For her lonely self.

 

All of a sudden she remembered something. Thing that had been the apex of a very mysterious Yeri.

 

“How did you find me anywhere I was?” Curiosity couldn’t be covered again, “...at that level, it's not impossible that you can find me in a rabbit hole.”

 

Yeri's red hair was fleeing beautiful, showing a sharp face which now beautified in a smirk. The answer to Joy's question was easy, she’s just afraid that this blonde girl might be upset if she were to know it.

 

“I'm rich. I have my ways.” Yeri scoffed her arrogant answer.

 

“Woah woah, stop right there red-head!” Joy's hand was now settled at the side of her ear hearing Yeri's words just now, “...how come you are this arrogant?”

 

That was just a formality, but Yeri kept on answering it,

 

“Money. Told ya, I'm rich.”

 

“Stop it!” One painless punch landed on Yeri's arm.

 

They both laughed.

 

“So, Squirtle...”

 

Yeri smiled for the sake of hearing that. She knew Joy was referring to the letters and riddles she had sent. The letters that covered her heart's content.

 

“...when did you get here?”

 

“Few months, I guess. Never really count it.” She leaned her body against the back of chair, “...after I graduated from high school, I told dad my plan to study here, of course with a cliché reason of being independent, what-so-ever, and he agreed.”

 

Timidly, Joy opened trying to ask something before Yeri cut her off,

 

“And yeah, we're best friends now. Where there is Daddy, there's Yeri!” She continued, “...he really appreciates me now. Often praises me for my achievements. And as a result, I’m never throwing things into a river ever again.”

 

They were silent for a long time, confused by what to ask despite the fact that there were bunch of questions dancing inside their heads. One more issue that she’s in need of answers came out. For a moment she hesitated, but she had to ask it.

 

“Yeri, those letters you sent me... I mean, those words-” Her breath was short for a moment, “...I mean-”

 

“They’re not mine, got them from somewhere. Everywhere” She butted in.

 

“…and the last-”

 

“That too, all of them.” She continued, “...as clever as I may look,” Another smack landed on her arm, “...I'm not at the level to write such cringe-worthy letters. And that last one? Intentionally did it, ‘cause I had lost my patient when your tiny brain never really got the riddle I’d sent.”

 

“I'm not that stupid!” Her lower lip moved forward in a pout.

 

“A-ha! That means you are stupid.” Joy's cute sulky face amused her, “…think I should get one more trophy for that game, shouldn’t I?”

 

Joy became frustrated,

 

“Stop talking about it, I know you have plenty. How I wish I could get just one of those.”

 

“You can have them all.” Yeri said before continuing with the softest voice ever, softer than the sound of the wind. It could only be heard by herself, “...along with my heart.”

 

“What’d you say?”

 

Joy brought her ear closer to Yeri, trying to hear more clearly what the red-head had said. But her action got cut out when a message blinking on her phone.

From Seulgi.

 

Meet me at the brew.

 

She quickly replied to it and then diverted her gaze to Yeri again.

 

“A friend of mine, needs extra hands for her stuff.”

 

A nod was all Yeri got. An awkward nod.

 

“It's