Chapter 4: Green Flash

Tension crawled over Yuri’s body upon the sudden mention of the park. She wasn’t even sure why she exactly felt that way towards that place, just knowing that the place exists gave her an ominous feeling. Knowing that it is the only park nearby, she was quite sure it is the one Yena was talking about.

“How did you know about that little park?” Yena asked, sounding more excited when she first suggested the place.

“I’ve been there once, but actually, I can’t recall how it looked like or where exactly it is situated.” Yuri answered, as she was trying to recall what she knows about the place.

“I’ll guide you there, don’t worry. I’ll always be with you no matter what” Yena assured Yuri as she was trying to grab on to Yuri’s hands on the table.

Hastily, Yuri pulled her stray arm on the table towards her chest, avoiding Yena’s grasp. “No, it’s fine. I can handle myself. I’m not a child” Yuri answered with a smug look on her face.

“I’m not saying that you are a child. What I’m saying is that you are an old woman who needs guidance”

“Wh- What old woman are you talking about?! Look, don’t treat me like that, alright?!”

“Oh so you need some honorifics. Okay, my coffee, ma’am? That you drank, ma’am?”

Yuri narrowed her eyes on her enemy on the opposite side of the table, the woman with crossed arms and a mighty pout on her face.

“Okay, sorry about the coffee... I tend to forget about little things but is that all you’ve got, Yena? Pathetic”

“Yep. I’m sorry. Except you also wore your shirt backwards. Go change old woman, I’ll wait for you here”

Yuri’s eyes widen larger than the bizarre black hole happening inside her mind right now. She slowly looked down to check and noticed something peculiar.

“…it’s not backwards…”

“Yes it isn’t, dum dum. See, you don’t even know if you wore it right” Yena answered triumphantly, standing up and heading towards the stunned Yuri. She slowly went to her side and offered her hand, along with the most arrogant smile she got.

“There’s also one thing you forgot but let’s forget that. Like I said, I’ll always be with you. Let’s go, shall we?”

These words sifted through her thoughts. It sounded like a beautiful piece she heard before. It was an excellent harmony in the form of a Sonata. Though she couldn’t remember where she heard it, even the composer, it always played perfectly in her mind, like a nostalgic childhood memory.

The two arranged their belongings and started to prepare themselves for a journey. Yuri kept her headsets and the heap of documents Yena brought back to her trusty bag. They got up and headed for the door, waving and saying their goodbyes to Minju.

“We’ll be heading now, Minju! You take care!” Yuri exclaimed as she was moving towards the door, waving to Minju.

“Take care guys!” Minju answered with a smile on her face.

Yuri reached for the door, making the chimes’ melodies resonate through the front desk. Yena, with her large coat on, followed Yuri as she stepped out the door and also waved back to Minju with a smile. As the two left the bookstore, the smile drawn on Minju’s face was immediately changed to a worried frown. She slowly bowed her head and murmured to herself.

Oh dear…

Yena…

--

They left the bookstore an hour past noon and the two started walking throughout the streets of the city. Anyone could only see a jungle of buildings, industrial places and establishments; a theme not normally open for the presence of a park. They started walking on familiar roads, the ones covered in screens and glasses. Then after a few turns and rounds, the screen city turned to unfamiliar roads with sprouting lives, trees and dead leaves all over the ground. Yuri, the one living just around this place, felt really lost during their adventure.

“Yena, wait. Are we really headed to the park?” Yuri asked Yena, panting and feeling frantic, looking around for some landmarks. “Where are we, exactly?”

“You live around here and you don’t know these streets?”

“Look. I go around this place but not this far!”

“I know you know this place. It’s just that you forgot it. Because, you know…”

“Because WHAT? Go on! Say it!”

“You’re old. Here grab my hand and don’t be scared. I’m not a killer leading you into some freaky warehouse or something” Yena answered a she forcefully took Yuri’s sweating hands and started walking towards their destination.

“We’re near. Don’t worry”

Yuri just can’t resist Yena’s engagements and eventually felt comfort when she held her hand. She felt something in her heart similar to a feeling she felt before, though the past was hurtful. It was a blissful feeling, though, the feeling that no one could ever explain in words. The feeling that tugs every heart string that still exists. The feeling that just lets your heart beat and live.

After a few more turns and alleys, the two eventually found their way to a small park with a little playground and a convenience store just nearby. The park was covered with trees, most of which has withered away, some flowers that doesn’t seem to bloom that bright, but still gives off a pretty glow, and a row of benches, covered in plenty of scribbles and dust. They arrived at the park just at the right time where the afternoon sun is glinting through the withering trees, creating an extraordinary shade and pretty patterns in the ground through the shadows they casted.

It is a hidden paradise beyond the busy concrete jungle.

Yuri felt confused after looking around. She can’t feel the excitement her companion is feeling. Yena wandered around happily like a child, hopped everywhere and felt freedom in every twists and turns she makes.

“Wait here, I’ll buy something for the two of us. Just stay here, alright?” Yena asked Yuri as she pointed her towards a dusty bench. The ecstatic girl then joyfully left the clueless girl and went straight towards what seemed to be a snack bar just a few feet away from the park.

Yuri, owning all of the boredom in the world, can’t do anything but sit in the designated bench. Everywhere she looks, it’s just an abandoned place left to rot on its own. She’s extremely bored waiting for her companion when she decided to open the yellow book once again. Without thinking any further, she immediately went to the page where she left off back then and started to read, as she tried to find a comfortable position on the dusty bench.

V.

Today we’re in a beautiful paradise in the middle of this messy world

Aside from the noise, we’ve finally found the light of hope

A place dearest to our hearts, a place where we could feel peace

A place where we’ll see love beyond the skies of green

“These words doesn’t even describe the scenario right now, no, not even CLOSE.” Yuri thought.

She flipped the page and saw little doodles just on the back. There was a sketch of what seemed to be a badly drawn triangle which looked like an ice cream cone, a messy cloud-like object and a very familiar belonging – the silver anklet. The sight of the anklet sent her in a petrified state from shock. Surprised, she suddenly closed the book and hid it inside her bag.

Suddenly, the infinitesimal details on the park became relatively vibrant, as if they were fragments of a memory from the olden days. As she’s starting to pick up memories from the place, of course, then came the bad ones – filled with spite, deceit, and pain. She can’t do anything but grab onto her hair and pulled it tightly as she was being imprisoned in such a mental torture. Images of the place being filled with colors which came in all variations, all the happy people enjoying, running around and enjoying their lives, came to her vision and now the dull park is anything but lonely.

She turned to a familiar corner of the park and saw a dark, ominous figure which seemed to approach her. It was a familiar figure but she can’t see the face directly. She was too shocked to function. She looked carefully to see if the person is wearing a silver anklet similar to hers. To her surprise, it was the same exact anklet she has. With a single drop of tear es