Everything blurred around her as if she was drunk, well, maybe she was. But that didn't matter now as every inch of her body ached and itched but she was too weak to move her arms, or to even lift her head. She let out a pained groan when she felt her head throbbing, for a second, she almost regretted doing it. Almost. 

Autumn:

She frowned as she looked around the park. Something seemed wrong, the sound of people laughing made her dizzy and exhausted for some reason. She crouched and sat under the big cherry blossom tree, a tree that didn't even have a single leaf. It was more like a hollow tree waiting for a miracle that would occur and suddenly give her leaves, or like her. Letting out a sigh, she let her eyes wander off. Her eyes fluttered when she saw a black butterfly soaring freely in front of her. How she envied it; it was discreet and free, unlike her of course. It would be an insult to the butterfly to be compared to her. She stood up and left her things to follow the black butterfly which occasionally took her back to her place. She laughed and sat once more when  the butterfly landed on her hand. 

"I wish I could be just like you." she whispered sadly as the butterfly remained perched on her hand.

The grass around her flurred, eliciting a small sneeze from her. The butterfly flew away. She followed it with her eyes, until it landed on him. And in an instant, she fell.

So you think you're good enough to talk back?" her mother screeched, pulling her hair until she reached the floor. She landed with a splat, her cheek immediately bruised. "Repeat what you just said!"

"I...let me have my own dorm." she whimpered under her step-mother's touch. A sudden, sharp pain hit her face. Another one of her step-mother's infamous slaps. 

"Then who would do the filthy housework? You want to get out of this house? Fine. Pack your things!" her mother screeched once more before she threw her out in the pouring rain. 

As she looked her shelter, her feet lead her to her school. It looked like the rain had no intention of stopping, she smiled a little at the thought of someone knowing what she felt. Maybe the sky knew what she'd been going through.

"Oh my god, Junhee?" Luhan called from behind, running over to her. "Wh-what happened to you? Why are you here?" he gasped, removing his jacket to cover her. 

"The usual." she chuckled bitterly, grabbing his milk box to drink. 

Luhan pursed his lips at her words. He'd been friends with Junhee for the half of their lives, 9 years?  Most of the time, she just went to the old park and thought, but this was the first time Junhee went to the school after being kicked out. The usual simply meant she'd been kicked out after a good beating. 

"Where are you sleeping?" Luhan asked, looking at Junhee, trying to keep everything in. He pulled out a band aid and covered up her wounded cheek. He handed his ice cold banana milk carton box to cure her bruise.

Junhee simply shrugged. "I'm gonna go ask Uncle if I could stay at your house." she giggled, pulling the coat  together to keep herself warm. She took out her phone and dialed Luhan's father. "Uncle! Guess what? I've been kicked out again, can I sleep in your house? What do you mean again? Aish, of course Luhan would be sleeping on the floor. Really? Thank you."

"That's my father you're talking to." Luhan mumbled. "And I'm not sleeping on the floor."

"Luhan, you know Jongin, right?" Junhee asked, as she cuddled with the pillows on Luhan's bed. She crawled to the edge to look at the sleeping deer on the floor. "Are you asleep?"

"I know him, why?" Luhan asked with his eyes closed, he opened them only to see a pouting Junhee. "You like him?" His secretly hung onto the thin rope of hope that she was just curious. He wanted her to laugh at his wild guess, to say that she liked him better than Jongin. Looking at the plain ceiling, he waited and hoped.

Junhee shook her head and let herself fall beside Luhan. "We're together now."

Luhan felt a stabbing pain on his insides. When did they even meet? Doesn't she know how much he likes her? Well, to think of it, no. He never even said it.

Fall:

 Are you okay?" Jongin asked, holding her hand while they walk down the road filled with cherry blossoms. The sky was a little hazy, but nevertheless perfect. Some leaves rained down on the other couples that were wandering at the road but Junhee only saw Jongin.

"Actually I..." she started, but stopped when she saw Jongin fiddling with his phone. Maybe he's not interested. She couldn't blame him, who would be interested in hearing stories about her worthless life?

They walked past the old cherry blossom tree. She sighed happily when she saw the old tree. It had leaves. She held the tree and looked at Jongin. "It blossomed!"

"Really? Wow, I thought that tree was dead." Jongin laughed and placed his arm around her. Yes, she thought so too. Maybe it was. Maybe it was just pretending to bloom for them to see? 

"Junhee-ah! You're spacing out. Are you okay?" Jongin asked. 

She smiled and nodded. "Yes." she wasn't really proud of lying to him but it was a white lie. She had to do it so he wouldn't feel bad, she lied because she didn't want to waste his time. It was a white lie, it couldn't possibly hurt anyone. Right?

 She carried on with her life, acting all cute and bubbly, smiling at everyone. But once in a while she couldn't help but to let her smile fade. Unfortunately, she had to keep smiling.

"Junhee, please don't frown when you're with me. It's not really flattering." Jongin would say. So she would nod and put the smile back on her face. Maybe she was just pretending to bloom?

"Junhee, are you okay? You look pale." her bestfriend Hyeri asked, cupping Junhee's cheeks on her hand.

"Hyeri-ah, I..." she muttered but stopped when she saw Hyeri looking past her. "Who are you looking at?".

She stared at her for a few seconds before uttering the lie that everyone says:

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for asking." 

Someday, maybe she'll actually mean it. 

<1/2>