A/N :

italic = thought

"italic" = conversation

Eunbi walked toward the edge of the rooftop, slowly but firmly. Once she’s already on the edge, she looked around the city. Everything was beautiful, the city lights were bright amongst the darkness of the sky. The city was glittering, like the stars. Eunbi turned her view upward, the midnight sky was empty except for one lone star. Eunbi snorted, because it’s supposedly beautiful. Supposedly, it made her heart warm by its beauty, yet she felt nothing of the sort.

A gust of wind flew her long black hair. Eunbi let the wind played with her hair. She swept her eyes around the city once more. She recalled the murmurs from this afternoon, “The sky is beautiful. I want to store it inside my camera.”

Eunbi gazed upon the pitch black sky, she found nothing there that could move her heart. A distant memory appeared. “Eunbi, the sky is clear! Let’s play outside!” A familiar voice filled with laughter echoed inside her mind, along with that came the pain that she’s so familiar with.

Nostalgia was dangerous because it’s filled with sweetness and warmth yet it only left with a sense of longing of for yesterday which has gone forever. Eunbi has learnt that she needed to avoided the nostalgia yet it’s the only thing that she wanted to keep.

Eunbi closed her eyes, because tonight when the clock ticked away to zero, her pain would end too. She would make sure she could end it well. She has been trying to do that many times yet she always failed and ended up being here. Tonight when the clock ticked away to zero, and yesterday turned into today, everything would end.

--

Eunbi walked closer to the edge of the rooftop. Left feet, right feet, left feet, right feet, and she’s standing on the edge. If she took another step, she would start flying. Eunbi closed her eyes, her right foot was dangling.

CLICK.

Startled by the sound, Eunbi halted her movement. Another click. Eunbi turned around just to find a girl with a camera poised at her. She’s about to talk when Eunbi lost her footing. She fell. She closed her eyes. She would be already flying if not for the hand which grabbed into her leg.

--

“What are you doing?” Eunbi asked the stranger who’s still wheezing after pulling her up. maybe it isn't the right thing to ask to a stranger which has been saving her, but the thing is, Eunbi doesn't want to be saved.

The stranger looked at her. “Sojung.”

“What?”

“My name is Sojung,” the girl wheezed one more time before she offered her hand at Eunbi. “Your name is Jung Eunbi, right? Nice to meet you.”

Eunbi furrowed her eyebrows. “How do you know my name?”

Sojung pointed at Eunbi’s wrist. “Your name is written on the hospital wristband.”

“Ah…”

Another flash of camera.

“Hey!” Eunbi half yelled in surprised when Sojung flashed her camera at her again.

“A photo to a name, because I want to remember you,” Sojung said, “Ah? Do you dislike me taking your pictures? Could I take your pictures?”

“You were already taking my pics though,” Eunbi deadpanned.

“Are you angry? You could save the picture,” Sojung replied, “Because I looked at you and your face is shrouded by clouds. Without realizing it, the shutters have been clicked.”

“What-“

“It is a beautiful view,” Sojung said, her eyes were on the view that Eunbi has been seeing before.

“Nah. Nothing is beautiful there.” Eunbi looked at the view as well. "Nothing is beautiful here, that's why I want to run away."

Sojung turned to her with a calculated gaze. “Hm? The clouds are so thick, I agree. It’s difficult to see clearly.”

“What are you on about?”

Sojung covered Eunbi’s eyes with her palm. “The clouds here are so thick and it might be going to rain soon. Maybe after the rainfalls, a rainbow will appear here, and the world wouldn’t be as grey then.”

Eunbi slapped Sojung’s hand away. “Are you crazy?”

“Because there are clouds surrounding you, the world doesn’t seem beautiful. Once the clouds dissipate and rainbows appear, the world would be beautiful,” Sojung replied calmly.

She’s a stranger yet she’s saying this nonsense. “What do you know about me?” Eunbi asked.

“I don’t know anything about you beside that you are in pain. And I want to help you,” Sojung smiled.

Who is she? Saying such things so easily…

Sojung was still smiling at her. Like that, warmth has started to seep into Eunbi’s heart. “Who are you?”

“Sojung.” the simple answer which didn’t answer Eunbi’s question.

“I mean—“ an alarm sound cut whatever words Eunbi was going to say.

“It’s time for me to go,” Sojung said, “I wish we could meet again, tomorrow.”

Eunbi only shook her head. “I don’t know.”

But Sojung was just smiling at her before she left the rooftop. Sun has started to wake up from its slumber. Eunbi sighed. She failed again today. Strangely, her mind wasn’t as heavy as she usually felt.

--

It rained hard the next day. Eunbi watched the rainfalls with little interest. For some reason she hoped that tonight the sky would be clear. She wondered about the girl from last night. No, it didn’t mean that she wanted to meet her. She’s just curious.

Her daydream ended when she heard the hushed fight just outside her room. “It’s because you work everyday! She became like this because of you!!” “Oh yeah? Then what about you?! You are only taking care of yourself!” “But, I am not the one avoiding our home in the pretense of working!” “YOU!”

Eunbi covered her ears. She wanted to run away.

“Eunbi! Let’s play catch! I will be the chaser and you will run!”

“Eh? But you run so fast, I will be caught in less than five minutes!”

Laughter. “Because your leg is short! You should drink milk.”

“YAH! What about me chasing you instead?!”

Another round of laughter. “With your short leg? You wouldn’t catch me with that~”

Unwanted memory appeared… or is it a wanted memory instead? She didn’t know yet Eunbi still drowned herself in her memories of the distant past. Because at least, she’s happy there and the world was beautiful then.

--

Eunbi found herself to be standing on the edge of the rooftop again with an umbrella that night. Once again, she’s going to let herself fall.

CLICK

The sounds of shutters surprised her, her hold on her umbrella got lose and it fell onto the ground. Eunbi turned to the side to find Sojung was clicking her camera again. Eunbi walked away from the edge. With hesitant steps, she walked toward Sojung.

Sojung smiled at her. “Ah, Eunbi, right?”

Eunbi nodded. She was right in front of Sojung now.

“Eunbi, look here,” Sojung said cheerfully. Sojung took a small album out of her pocket, flipped it open, and shown it to her.

Eunbi curiously peered into the album. After recognizing the picture, her cheeks flushed pink. In it were pictures of her.

“Beautiful,” Sojung stated.

“What?” Eunbi looked at the picture again. It’s when she’s about to jump from the edge.

“You looked like you were surrounded by the clouds. It’s beautiful because you looked so lost from the world.”

Is she crazy? She found that beautiful??

CLICK

“Hey!” Eunbi half yelled in surprised when Sojung flashed her camera at her again.

“Ah? Do you dislike me taking your pictures? Could I take your pictures?” Sojung asked.

“You were already taking my pics though,” Eunbi deadpanned.

“Are you angry? You could save the picture,” Sojung replied, “Because I looked at you and your face is shrouded by clouds. Without realizing it, the shutters have been clicked.”

Wait, this kind of conversation...don't we already have it yesterday?

“Why do you like taking picture?” Eunbi asked, “Are you a photographer?”

“No, I am not. It’s more of a need, I think.”

“Need?”

Sojung smiled. “Because I want to keep my memories. Photos, after all, are the proof of our existence.”

“What do you mean? If there is no photo, you don’t exist?”

Sojung nodded. “Yeah.”

Eunbi blinked. Dread suddenly filled her stomach at that. “Explain it clearly, I don’t get it.”

“Yesterday me that you met, she doesn’t exist anymore. There’s only today me.”

“Today you? Stop talking in riddles.”

Sojung chuckled. “My memories only last for one day. When I sleep, they will reset themselves. I will forget about yesterday.”

“Huh? But, you recognized me…”

“Because I took your picture yesterday. If you take the photo out of the album and flipped it, you’ll see words behind it.”

Eunbi did as she’s told.

Jung Eunbi. Rooftop meeting. Met her at twilight

A beautiful girl with clouds surrounded her.

“Oh, but it isn’t like I repeated my day over and over again. I just don’t remember yesterday events,” Sojung said.

How could she talk like it is nothing? Yesterday is precious-even more than today will ever be...

“I see…”

“Don’t look so troubled. It’s okay,” Sojung said again with a smile.

“Twilight?” Eunbi decided to ask something else.

“We met when yesterday is about to turn to today. It’s twilight,” Sojung explained.

“I see…”

Sojung laughed.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because you are funny. Don’t make that face, it’s okay,” Sojung clasped Eunbi’s hand. “I won’t forget you.”

“How are you so sure?”

Sojung smiled. “I just know that you are someone that I wouldn’t want to forget.”

Eunbi’s heart was picking up its rate.

--

They talked and talked. Eunbi found out that Sojung was a patient in the hospital, like her. Sojung didn’t tell her what her illness was but Eunbi too, didn’t tell her why she’s in the hospital. So, she thought it’s okay even if she didn’t know.

Time passed, and it’s already the time for the sun to wake up from its slumber. Sojung’s alarm was ringing. Their time was up.

--

Eunbi felt sadness has started to creep up in her when she watched Sojung walked away from her. She tore her gaze away from Sojung. It felt like a minute has passed when she felt a pair of hand covered her eyes. The hands which covered her eyes felt cold.

“Eunbi, instead of running away by yourself… why don’t you run away with me?” Sojung whispered.

--

a/n :  ｡◕‿◕｡

do you know what anemone means?

enjoy and thank you for reading~