Sooyeon has always been a curious kid. All day, she would pick up things around the house and throw them at her little shopping cart and after dinner time, she would pull on her mom’s dress and drag her to her room. There, she would pull out her treasures one by one and ask her mom about them. She listened well and tried to remember everything even though there’s so much that her little brain could take.

Soon enough, the house wasn’t enough for our little Sooyeon. So one day, she asked her dad to take her somewhere that’s fun and big, a place where she can learn a lot of new and magical things. Her dad asked her where did she find out about magic and she answered that she found out through her seatmate, Taeyeon, at school. “But I’ve never seen one appa. I want to discover magic.” Her dad smiled gently and turned to her mom. “Dear, I think it’s time to take Sooyeon to the fair.”

Fair, as what Sooyeon has seen, is amazing. There is a big wheel that has seats. She tugged on her dad’s collar and point to it. “Appa, what’s that?”

“That’s a Ferris wheel baby. Do you want to take a ride on that?”

Sooyeon looked up the wheel and blinked. “Would I fall appa?”

Mr. Jung shook his head. “No baby, it’s safe.” And the little girl clapped her hands in joy.

“Hold on baby.” Her dad said once they sat on the ride. She put her hands on the metal bars tightly and leaned in closer to her father. Soon, her eyes widened as they rose from the ground.

“Appa! Umma’s getting small!” She pointed to the woman by the popcorn stand that was waving to them enthusiastically.

Her dad chuckled and caressed her soft brown hair. “She’ll get big again soon. For now, look over there.” Sooyeon looked up from below and to the view in front of her.

“Wow! It’s all green.” Their teacher said they were living the province so they would find many trees and plants everywhere. “Is that our house appa?”

“I don’t know Sooyeon, all of the houses here are very much alike.”

She roamed her eyes around. It’s pretty. She thought. It feels nice here.

“We’re going down sweetheart.” Sooyeon squealed as she felt their seat move and swing in the air.

“We’re falling!” She closed her eyes shut and reached for her dad’s arm.

“It’s alright. It’s gravity, what goes up must come down. Open your eyes, we’re still alive. Look, your mom’s big again.” She opened one eye and saw her mom smiling at her. She opened the other eye and looked around.

“You’re right!” and the next thing she knew, she was in a fit of giggles as the wheel turned round and round.

Next, they went inside a tent and sat at the front seats. “What are we going to do here umma?”

“We’ll watch magic sweetie.” Upon hearing the word, her eyes sparkled and paid close attention to the stage. Then the lights turned off leaving only a spotlight in the middle.

Poof!

Then there was smoke. And a man in black suit and hat came out of nowhere.

The young Sooyeon clapped her hands in amazement. “Wow! Did you see that umma?”

Her mother nodded and patted her head adoringly. She turned her attention in front again and the act started.

Sooyeon skipped merrily out of the tent with a new necklace around her neck. The magician gave it to her when she asked how he floated on air. He said it was the necklace that gave him the power to float...

*flashback*

“Since you look so beautiful like an angel, I’ll give this to you as a present.” The magician said. She bowed her head as the man put it on her. She clutch on the pendant and smiled.

“Thanks mister. But how can you float again? Do you have another one of this?”

“No little girl. There’s only one like that in the world. Don’t worry about me. I can find other ways to float.” He laughed and the audience laughed with him. She didn’t understand but she didn’t care for she has a pretty necklace now.

*end*

The family stopped at a bench to eat. Her father went away to buy some food while her mom stayed with her. Then Mrs. Lee, their neighbor, came and chatted with her mom. Sooyeon became bored. She looked for something to do. Then something came to her mind. She stood up and made her way towards the big wheel.

Weird. There’s no line but the wheel is moving, aha. There’s someone controlling the ride. She ran towards a seat and tucked herself in, the bar is easily to lock. Plus, she already found out how this seat was locked during her first ride. Let’s just say she can figure out things by herself. She leaned in and clutched her necklace. If the man can float, that means I can float too. I’m going to be like a bird! She said to herself. She wiggled her legs in excitement but something creaked. Sooyeon felt her seat move and she shrieked in surprise. The girl who was running the wheel turned her head to the source of the sound.

“Hey kid! How did you get there?”

Instead of answer, she got another shriek in return. She realized that the seat was falling down. She stopped the wheel and reached for her talkie. “Seunghyun! Get your back here and help me! We’ve got a prob- No!” She dropped the device, grabbed some nearby rope and ran towards the ride. There’s no more time. She needs to get the kid out of there.

The employee climbed the metal bars up to the seat. It wasn’t that tough to do. She’s been doing this for over a year now.
“Hey kid!” She threw the end of the rope to the little girl. “Grab the rope.” Sooyeon did so. “Do you know how to tie a knot?”

“M-my umma taught m-me…”

“Tie the rope around your waist.” The girl’s eyes never left Sooyeon’s hands as she made a knot. “Good. Now make another one. Make sure it’s tight around your waist okay?”

“N-ne…” After Sooyeon was done, she watched the other twist the rope around a pole tie the other end around her own waist.
“Kid, I want you to jump to me.”

Sooyeon quickly shook her head. “I-I’m scared…”

“Kid! We don’t have much time! C’mon!”

Sooyeon unlocked the bar handle and the seat let out a creak and shifted a bit. She let out a loud cry. “H-help me!”

“Just take my hand and slowly move from your seat. Then I’ll carry you with both hands.” The older girl reached out her hand further.

With shaking hands, Sooyeon took her hand and stood up. The older girl twisted her leg around the pole to keep her balance then she reached out both of her hands and caught the little girl’s waist. Good thing the space between the bars and the seat was not that big. The taller settled the girl down in between her legs for she can’t carry that much weight in their current position. The elder slipped off the metal bars and Sooyeon grabbed unto the pole as the other hung loosely on the wheel. Sooyeon cried as her waist hurt because the other’s weight pulls her down.

The elder’s heart stopped as she felt herself floating in mid air. She looked up and saw the little kid hanging on for dear life.

“Hey kid!”

Sooyeon looked down with tear trails on her cheeks. “U-unnie, I can’t h-hold on anymore…”

Her heart constricted as she kept her tears at bay. She knows exactly what she should do. She reached for her pocket knife held it against the rope. “Kiddo…be good okay? Grow up and live your life to the fullest.” Sooyeon didn’t understand, why is the other telling her this now?

“Close your eyes.” The elder’s voice was barely a whisper but it reached her little ears. She closed her eyes and thought of ponies and kitties then she felt light so she opened her eyes and saw that the older girl was nowhere to be found. She started crying. She knew where the other was because she’s a smart kid and she knows that gravity exists; everything that comes up must come down right?

Later that night, Sooyeon found herself cuddled in between her mom and dad. They were long asleep but Sooyeon is still wide awake. She thought about what happened earlier. Even kids have consciences, so she felt really bad. She heard that the wheel was closed that time for maintenance. That’s why no one was there. She didn’t even have the chance to thank the older girl.

Thank you unnie…she whispered before drifting off to sleep.

That day in the fair Sooyeon discovered a lot of things- the wheel, magic, gravity, sacrifice and death.

A few years later, they moved to Seoul. And in middle school, Sooyeon discovered friends. She found friends in the form of Hyuna, Gyuri and Eunjung. She had a blast. Every day was fun, they had sleepovers, makeovers. They shared secrets and clothes. Since she was an only child, she instilled in herself that the other three were not only friends, they were her sisters.

Upon reaching high school, she made a re-discovery. When the popular boy, Joon, became her boyfriend, she re-discovered friends, this time in different forms. One, there are friends that talk behind your back and spreading false rumors about you just because of jealousy. Hyuna was like that. Two, there are friends that stay away and doesn’t want to get involved. Gyuri was like that. Three, there are friends who chooses to stay with you and support you all the way. Eunjung was like that, she’s Sooyeon’s bestfriend.

At the end of her senior year, Sooyeon discovered two things at the same time. It was prom and she was alone. Joon excused himself a while ago to go to the bathroom. So there she was, standing at the buffet table munching on some chocolate covered strawberries when Jonghyun, her lab partner, came over and nudged her.

“What’s up?” She asked.

“I really don’t want to do this but enough is enough.”

“What are you talking about?” She wiped free from some trace of chocolate and turned to Jonghyun.

“Go to room 407.” He handed her a card key. “I asked the reception to give me a spare. I told them it’s urgent and the principal was the one asking for it.” He walked back to a corner table and drank his punch.

Sooyeon shrugged and went to the elevator. Their prom was held in a hotel and she wondered if their school was testing their hormones.

Ding

Fourth floor. 401…402…403...404…405…406…407…aha. She slipped in the card and turned the knob. Pants and moans welcomed her into the room. And with some from the bedside lamp, she caught a glimpse of one of the two people tangled on the bed.

A sharp pang shot through her chest. This is heartbreak isn’t it?

“Joon…” Sooyeon muttered. The two stopped and turned to her. The girl stiffened and stared with wide eyes. Upon seeing the oh so familiar face, she started crying. This…this one’s betrayal...right?

She ran out of the room, shutting her ears from Eunjung’s calls.

At home,at the far end of her room, Sooyeon slid the cold metal through her skin, slitting it open. She closed her eyes tightly. It stung but it felt good. It’s as if all the pain inside her started to seep out of her wrist. One might say that this is not what Sooyeon would do. This is clearly irresponsible and stupid for a straight A student to do. But what the heck, even the greatest of nerds have emotions and limitations too. She was already dying inside with what she saw, she doesn’t want to prolong it. Why not end it now?

She was breathing hard and fast. Her heart started to pump slower and slower then black. Everything turned to black.

---

A gush of wind sent a shiver down her spine. She forced open her eyes and looked around.

“This isn’t my room…what happened?” then it came back to her. She held up her wrist, there’s no scar, no sign of any damage.
She pushed herself up and dusted off the grass on her pink and black haltered prom dress. She walked around and stopped at a small shade with two benches parallel to each other. She looked up and reached out to the purple flowers dangling from the top.

“That’s wisteria…” a girl voiced out from behind one of the pillars.

“Wisteria?” she picked a bunch and walked over to the pillar where the voice came from.

“Yup.” The girl looked at her and frowned. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m asking myself the same thing.” She looked around and back to the girl. “What is this place?”

“It’s best if you don’t ask.” The girl held Sooyeon’s arm. “You should leave. You’re not in the list.”

“Yah! Let go!” She wiggled out of the girl’s grasp when they reached a gate. “If you want me to leave then I’ll leave. Sheesh.” She walked out of the gate and looked around. “Where do I go now?”

“Just close your eyes and take a deep breath.”

Sooyeon closed her eyes and held on to her necklace. Then she took a deep breath.

When she opened her eyes, she’s in a white room, the smell of alcohol and disinfectant invading her sensitive nose.

“Thank God you’re alive!” She was pulled into a sudden hug.

“U-umma…” she wrapped her arms around the elder. She nuzzled her nose at the crook of her mother’s neck. “Umma…”

Her mom started to rub her back. “Shh…you’re okay now…”

Sooyeon pulled back from the hug and looked at another figure inside the room. He was just standing there, staring at her with cold eyes. “A-appa…”

He didn’t say anything. He just continued to stare at her. He’s mad at me. She thought. “I-I’m really s-sorry appa…” and she released the tears that were starting pool her eyes. That’s when her dad moved forward and hugged her. “Joon cheated on me with Eunjung…my boyfriend and my bestfriend…I saw them at the hotel appa…”

Her father placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. “I’ll get that kid.” Then he cupped her tear-strained face. “Don’t do anything like that ever again. Promise?”

She looked down and nodded slightly. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.

She remembered her dream…was it a dream? Then she looked at her right hand that’s formed into a fist. She opened it slowly and there in the middle of her palm was a familiar purple flower.

“Wisteria…”