“Go away, young caterpillar! You will eat me entirely, and I’m not happy about that!”

“Oh, no! Please, sir apple. I won’t do that. I only need a leaf every two days,” the little caterpillar pleaded, tears b on her eyes. She was hungry— no, she was starving right now.

“Don’t listen to her, apple! A long time ago, her kind ate almost of my leaves and I can’t do photosynthesis properly at that time!” said a flower from afar.

"Yes, and she will eat your fruits too, then leaving holes on it. Of course, it's not eat-able anymore," said a big lemon tree from the little caterpillar's behind. The caterpillar turned and shook her head furiously.

“Ew, cruel! Go away fat caterpillar,” the apple tree shushed her.

Their words hurt Seungwan's heart so much. A lone tear fell from her eyes. “Its Seungwan,” the little caterpillar hung her head low and muttered while moves limply to another tree which probably willing to accept her.

Became a caterpillar wasn't her wish. In fact, she always envied flowers. Flowers are always beautiful and loved by everyone. Or tree— the tree that has delicious fruit. Everything in this forest is pretty and beneficial— except herself, Seungwan the caterpillar.

.

.

From tree to tree, branch to branch, no one accepted her. Why in the world I'm being like this, she thought. She remembered when she passed by a beautiful flower which has pinkish petals, and there were two bees fighting against each other to attract her attention. Suddenly, the flower takes a glance at Seungwan and said, “only a beautiful creature; as beautiful as me who can approach me.” It broke Seungwan’s heart, and then she took a mental note; a beautiful creature doesn't always have a beautiful heart.

She continued her journey to find a kindhearted plant, she met a few of her kind, even cocoons. Every time she asked them to share leaves, they attacked her. Being the kindhearted yet smaller one, Seungwan can't do much other than surrender.

The sun is tired, and so does Seungwan. She needed to find something to eat and some-place to stay before the moon standing above her head. So she decided to test her luck with a very very big old tree; a willow tree. Come on, Seungwan, it’s your chance, she thought.

“Uh— but, this is so scary,” Seungwan whispered as quiet as possible.

“Hello, little buddy?” A voice said. It must be this tree’s voice, Seungwan thought. “AH! Good morn— I mean after— evening! Uh, sir— or madam. Can I ask you, oh no! I’m sorry for being rude, I’m Seungwan the caterpillar—,” Its tendril brought Seungwan to one of its branches even before Seungwan finished her introduction.

“Slow down, little caterpillar, I don’t know what are you saying,” The willow said while Seungwan hung her head in embarrassment and muttered sorry.

.

.

“I’m the unwanted, grandma willow. I’m fat, I eat a lot. They were afraid if I will eat all of their leaves and fruits,” Seungwan said while watching the stars from the highest branch of grandma willow, sometimes she took a bite of leaves around her.

“You do eat a lot, Seungwan,” grandma willow stated boldly— teasing the young caterpillar. Seungwan apologized immediately which earned a loud chuckle from the old tree. “There must be a reason why did you have to be here now,” grandma willow added. She told Seungwan about her history when she still has another willow friends and the reason why she is feared by the other insects in this forest.

And today has ended beautifully for Seungwan. Foods; checked. A place to stay; checked. Unexpectedly, she got a new friend; grandma willow.

.

.

.

Seungwan fell in love.

Like always, she would munch a few leaves at her favorite spot, the highest branch of grandma willow. She could see everything, the animals, the flowers— humans. It happened when she turned her head to the west. Under the sunlight, there’s a new flower— roses. All of them are beautiful. But, there’s one rose that catches Seungwan’s attention, it could stop Seungwan’s desire towards leaves.

“Oh my god, she’s so beautiful,” Seungwan whispered. “Aw, my not so little anymore Seungwan is in love,” A sudden voice surprised the caterpillar. “O— uh, I forgot I still on your branch,” Seungwan muttered.

“Roses are beautiful— and dangerous, Wannie.”

Seungwan heard it clearly, but she really can’t take her eyes from that special rose, the most beautiful rose in this forest. Seungwan told grandma willow if she will approach that lovely rose. Grandma Willow could see the fire burning in Seungwan’s eyes, she smiled and let Seungwan go, but in one condition. “Don’t hurt yourself.”

With that, Seungwan went to the roses colony. It took almost a half day to reach the place, damn this small body, Seungwan cursed. She arrived.

“Oh no! Where is she, I can’t see her. Roses are too tall for me,” Seungwan muttered sadly. She didn’t want her effort will be nothing. I have to find that rose, she thought. She decided to climb the stem of the rose— there are a lot of thorns, and Seungwan stared in awe and decided to keep searching from the ground.

She found her!

“Hello, miss rose, I’m Seungwan,” She shouted, but she got no response. “Helloo? Can you hear me? Can you see me, miss rose?!!” No answer.

“Joohyun?” Seungwan called her once again, a little bit unsure whether it’s the beautiful rose’s name or not. She got an answer when the rose lowered her petals, glanced at her.

“How do you know my name?” The rose asked with an elegant voice. Her voice seems annoyed by Seungwan’s way to approach her.

She's so breathtaking, Seungwan thought.

“I— I’m sorry, I heard from others. By the way, I’m Seungwan the caterpillar and I like you! I always looking at you from the first time your petals blooms,” Seungwan said boldly. She received giggles from the other roses. They're looking down on her, and she shrugged it off. Her main focus is Joohyun. “Can I climb you?” Seungwan asked; her eyes full of stars.

“NO!” Joohyun sternly said. The caterpillar had embarrassed her in front of the other roses— in front of the bees and the butterflies. How can be a beautiful flower like her will talking to a creature like this? Joohyun thought.

“No. You can’t. I will hurt you; I have thorns on my body and leaves. It’s my way to defend myself from an ugly and dangerous thing that will ruin my beauty, little caterpillar,” Joohyun added without looking at Seungwan.

“An ugly and dangerous creature?” Seungwan repeated, and Joohyun hummed to answer.

“Is that— uhm. Is that me?” Seungwan asked weakly. Her heart is broken.

.

.

“Grandma Willow, she hates me too because I’m ugly— and dangerous,” She hung her head low, leaned her body on grandma willow’s branch.

“She doesn’t hate you, little girl. She’s afraid— just afraid,”

“But she’s happy when the butterflies flirting with her, see?! That black-orange one!”

“Nothing is last forever, uri little Seungwannie,”

“I’m tired, grandma willow, exhausted. Can I sleep at my favorite place?” Seungwan said sadly— gave grandma willow her pleaded eyes.

“You don’t have to ask me, my little Seungwan.”

Is this the time? Grandma Willow thought.

On the other place, the beautiful creatures do a chit-chat. About the butterflies, about the sun, about everything that could kill their boring feelings.

"Hey Joo, didn't you too harsh towards that little caterpillar?" 

"Oh Nana, she's a caterpillar," Joohyun said annoyed, while rolled her eyes. Nana keeps asking her action towards the little caterpillar before.

"And so what if she is a caterpillar? She's the one from that willow tree, right?" 

"Should I remind you if we are roses, Nana?"