Both came out breathless from the arcade game zone.

“I have to bring my friends back here”, Sunny said and took a gulp of coke that was exchanged from their token.

“Or you just can bring me”, Taeyeon opened hers.

“Oh yeah, I’ll definitely consider that if all of them are busy”

Taeyeon did an exaggerated hurt look. That successfully triggered Sunny’s laugh.

“I think I need bathroom”, Sunny said while they were passing an accessories store, “Oh! These are beautiful! Look!”

Taeyeon looked at the pebble stones Sunny pointed, she furrowed her eyebrows, trying to find the pretty side Sunny mentioned but failed.

“I’m so going to buy that! Where’s the bathroom by the way?”

Taeyeon pointed at the sign hung under the ceilings, it isn’t very far, just across the store.

“Hold this for me”, Sunny handed Taeyeon her coke, the latter was still paying her attention to the pebbles. They were colorful, smooth, and shiny, but still they were stones.

However, she found her legs entered the store and her hands paid for the pebbles.

And handed them to Sunny instead of her coke when she came back.

“You didn’t have to buy them for me you know?”

“I won’t regret it if you tell me what’s so beautiful from it”

Sunny’s small laugh set Taeyeon off to the cloud 9. That was the first time she heard the sweet chuckle emitted from Sunny genuinely directed to her.

“I have this hobby of collecting the pebbles. I just find them nice to touch. Wait here”, it was Sunny’s turn to enter the shop and came back with the same pack of pebbles and a small glass of liquid.

She gave Taeyeon the pack and the glass, “For you”

Taeyeon paid attention to the things on her right hand, “I don’t understand how to touch these pebbles, Sunny”

“You made it sound y”, another laugh from Sunny and another cloud 9 for Taeyeon, “That’s why I also bought the aromatherapy oil, so you could shed a few drops onto the pebbles for your room”

“Well, I think this is the most useful gift I’ve received in my entire high school life”

“You’ll receive more”

Taeyeon widened her eyes and averted her gaze to Sunny, she suddenly found it was hard to talk, “I-Is it a green signal?”

“For friend, then yes”

“You tease”

Sunny sticked her tongue out, “Anyway, where else we’re going to?”

“Lunch”, and when she metioned, her stomach grumbled loud enough for both of them to hear. That was what Taeyeon got by skipping her breakfast.

****

Another ride and another freezing Taeyeon. But two of them didn’t go in to the restaurant house-like immediately. The lake had Sunny stunned by the time she landed her sneakers on the cold dirt. It wasn’t big, but the empty and free space around the lake made it seemed wide.

“Is this place real?!”, Sunny widened her eyes, took off the helmet to maximize her visual.

“We live in the suburban of Korea. Of course this is real”, Taeyeon took the helmet from Sunny’s hand and put it down to the saddle.

“How you know this place? Oh my, this is amazing!”, Sunny finally moved. She walked towards the water. She squatted down to try to look what was in it. Couldn’t see a thing, she took off her gloves and dipped her finger, ”Cold”, she laughed away.

“My kindergarten was around here”, Taeyeon answered from behind. Watching Sunny enjoying the view, she didn’t regret that she brought Sunny back here, “You remember this place?”

However, Sunny was too mesmerized by the nature to hear Taeyeon’s answer or question. The scenery beyond the lake preoccupied her mind. Pine trees formed an army in white uniform, reflected by the freezing water below. Although tall buildings was visible, but she was satisfied with the view. It was hard to find such a place in the busy country like hers.

Taeyeon tapped on Sunny’s shoulder to get her attention back, “My tummy protest. You can enjoy the view after the lunch”

“Oh, Sorry”, then they headed to the small restaurant on the side of the lake.

A faint memory hit Sunny after she saw its interior. But she couldn’t remember enough to make sure she wasn’t mistaken the place. Sunny was too focused in digging up her memory about it until it needed several times for Taeyeon to call her, asking for order.

“I think I’ve been here before”, Sunny leaned her chin on her palm, eyes squinted around the restaurant.

“Oh, you did?”, Taeyeon asked casually since she still chose her own menu, after it was done, she pointed out of the window,” Does that tree trigger something?”

Sunny looked at the direction,” Which one?”, she asked since there were many.

“The nearest one. That cherry blossom”

Sunny narrowed her eyes. She looked back toTaeyeon with raised eyebrows as she got nothing, “Is it supposed to?”

Taeyeon still had her eyes on the tree, “People grow up and sometimes they forget”

Sunny tilted her head, ”What do you mean?”

Taeyeon locked her eyes with Sunny’s,” I think I’ll tell you now”

It took seconds for Sunny to process the words, and she mouthed ‘ah’ as she remembered their morning banter. To compare it, it was funny how she reacted differently with Taeyeon right now.

“I’m listening”, then Sunny added another hand to support her chin.

“I quit my club”

Surprise look was on Sunny’s facial expression, she half disbelieved the spoken words, “why? Aren’t you good?”

“Too good”, Taeyeon said,” They didn’t let me though”

“You won gold medal remember? They’re stupid if they let you quit”, Sunny threw a lopsided smile.

“I won nothing, Sunny. Not the thing that I want”, Taeyeon’s eyebrows turned down, “ I never want the medal”

Sunny narrowed hey eyes, trying to read Taeyeon’s mind. Why she bothered to join the competition if medal was never what she aimed for? Wasn’t the best title were competitions for?

“What did you want then?”

The conversation was interrupted by their coming foods. Their stomachs were hungry, but their minds were hungrier.

Taeyeon her lips, she looked anywhere but Sunny, “Do you remember our first meeting?”, food were forgotten, they weren’t the subject of the lunch anymore.

“Of course! It was just a week ago. And you left a big impression on me”, Sunny waited for Taeyeon to look at her before she added, “smug little prick”

The nickname didn’t sound as contemptuous as before. Both of them laughed it away. And when it died down, Taeyeon spoke, “Our real first meeting”

Lines formed between Sunny’s eyebrows, her entire focus spent to Taeyeon who was looking back at the tree. was opening and closing without any words came, but Sunny waited patiently.

Taeyeon inhaled a long breath before let it out shortly, “ We met there”, a short pause for Taeyeon to replay the memory in her head, “when I was five”

Sunny half didn’t expect the story, “Five?”, no wonder she couldn’t remember clearly about this place. “What did I do here?”

Taeyeon squinted her eyes, hoping it will make her remember clearer, “I don’t know. I never asked you that day”

“Then what did you do?”

“I was crying”, Taeyeon chuckled as her younger self came to her vision.

Sunny straightened her posture, face suddenly hardened, “Did I bully you or something?”

Taeyeon diverted her eyes momentarily to Sunny, she shook her head in soft manner, ” No, You did the opposite. You comforted me”, she smiled and turned her focus back to everything out of the window.

Sunny went relax, “ Gosh, I thought you took me here for revenge or what. Why were you crying then?”

“Boys in my school bullied me”, she sighed, “Everyday, after school I would cry there alone, right under the blossomless cherry blossom tree”, she paused to looked at Sunny, “and one day, you spotted me”

“W