“How’d you know I was going to be here?” She asked with such a pure innocence. Jinah was always innocent in his eyes. Maybe it was the fact that she trusted him so easily, or that she always put such high hopes in him. She looked at him like a child would to someone they admire, and he knew that after today she would never look at him the same. It pained him to realize this harsh fact.

“This was where I found you after your father passed away.” He answered.

“We were eleven years old Baek.”

“I know.”

“I know I said was I was going to attend S.M, but I guess I lied. The thing is, for once I want to be out of my comfort zone. I don’t know if it’s the thought of finally entering the real world, or the thought of growing up and letting go of our past, or the thought that maybe things are too messed up to fix. All I know is that I’m scared out of my mind, and that’s okay because I’m allowed to be. I just know that I want to let go of all the strings and ropes that bind me. Even if it means letting the people I love go.”

Tears were falling from her eyes by now, but then she smiled. Her smile was soft, fragile, and innocent. It was such a contrast between the tears and the smile.

He frowned but couldn’t help but think that this was his best friend right here. Most guys think a girl is beautiful when she’s all ‘dolled up’ in a dress and makeup, it’s one of those ‘make-over’ moments when the little duckling becomes the swan. Some guys think a girl looks the most beautiful when she’s smiling, laughing like a child without a care in the world, where nothing but happiness emits from her.

Baekhyun always thought that was when Jinah was the most beautifu; when she was smiling.

Right now however, he couldn’t help but think about how beautiful she looked. Her hair was a wavy mess of ebony, her skin was sickly pale, her eyes were bloodshot, and her figure was frail. But that smile, along with those sad eyes was so hypnotizing. It made no sense, he knew this.

Something about how real she looked right now was stunning in his eyes. No more facades, no more masks, no more fake lies, just the real, tainted, torn down and stepped upon Jinah.

The girl who was always waiting for him, just like he was always waiting for her, she was the girl who cried her nights away trying to ignore the pain. She was the girl who got up in the morning even if she was hurting. She was the girl who suffered internally. She was the girl who fought pass all of it.

She was Han Jinah. The girl all their classmates snickered about because her mother was a murderer. The girl that lost her father when she was too young. The girl that’s torn at the edges and bruised inside out.

Baekhyun knew he couldn’t deny it because at this moment reality, as ugly, as messed-up, as unfair as it was, she was beautiful. There was something so beautiful about pain. Right now at this moment Jinah was the most beautiful person in his eyes.

“Can you promise me something Baek?” She asked softly and right now he would promise her the entire world if she willed it.

“Anything.”

“Visit my father. I don’t want my daddy to get lonely.” She asked, and this unexpected request shocked him back to the cruel reality.

 “Why are you asking this?” He asked stunned because he was clearly capable of reading between the lines, or at least these lines. He knew what’s awaiting him, and he’s not sure he can take it.

“I’m leaving Baek.” She replied with three short words that broke his heart. Who knew such short words would cut so deep.

“Do you have to?” His question was a mere whisper, barely audible. 

She smiled knowingly, “After my father died, I’ve lived in this world where I lock myself in this cage. At first I thought it was because of my mother, and then I realized that this whole time, it was me. I always relied on you to protect me, maybe I just got used to having you with me, but the older we get the more I realize that you have to live your life, and I have to live mine.”

Here was the moment both of them were scared of, the moment in everyone’s life when they had to finally do the thing they are secretly scared of. For some it just happens unconsciously, for some it’s just like learning to walk. For some, they need to be pulled a little, and for others, they need to be push off a cliff at full force and hope that their parachute didn’t fail on them

They had to do what everybody has to do eventually. Let go, move on, and learn new.  

They had to grow up.

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Short update.