Episode Two: Autumn Leaves

“Eunji unnie, if you were told to pick between me and a cup of ice cream, what will you pick?” Eleven-year-old Son Naeun asked her best friend as they unknowingly walked down the alleyway towards Eunji’s house.

“Isn’t the answer obvious?” The twelve-year old asked back, wiggling her eyebrows playfully at her playmate and her best friend.

Little Naeun halted her tracks and eyed the older one before answering. “It’s not obvious… I don’t even know what you are thinking most of the time…”

“Well isn’t that amazing? I’ll pick ice cream over you, Naeunnie~~~” With that, Eunji ran away playfully from Naeun, who immediately chased back with a huge but cute frown on her face as she whined loudly.

“WAE? WHY WILL YOU PICK ICE CREAM OVER ME? Ah unnie, you are so unfair! Do you know what I didn’t pick over you?” Naeun continues whining, hoping to catch up from the small but still faster older girl.

The question made Eunji curious as hell as she halted her tracks and looked at Naeun confusedly.

“What? What didn’t you pick over me? Is it something trivial like my favorite ice cream? Or is it something so important but a little less important than me?” Little Eunji asked that with full curiosity back then, who was still very much oblivious and clueless of this world.

“I picked you over my mom, don’t you know that.” Naeun decided to share, looking on her unnie still with that childish frown. “She was much more important than you… but then I actually picked you, Dad and this whole Busan over her… I love her so much and yet I laid down the courage to pick her, and stayed here with everything that this town has to offer.”

Eunji’s lips formed an ‘o’ before suddenly smiling, lifting her fingers up to pull the corners of Naeun’s lips, making the younger smile.

“Don’t regret your decision and if you miss your mom, you can go to her. You don’t need to pick over your mom or your dad. They are your family, same as me too.”

*Announcement, our dear passengers, the KTX will standby first for an hour due to some technical difficulties. Please forgive us for the inconvenience caused. Thank you.*

Eunji didn’t like what she just heard. Her heart and every part of her body were already firing up due to a deep excruciation just to meet Naeun again. Every passing second of that hour was making it harder and harder for her.

She turned her head and saw that the sun has already set, and the twilight has befallen the horizon. She gets to see the falling autumn leaves yet again, and at the same time, she started seeing remnants of her friendship with Naeun that has slowly gone cold.

The train stopped by in not so urban area. She can see a rice paddy not so far away. Now she just wishes to hear the sound of nature, to lessen the feeling inside her. Miss…

She