Holding a crystal glass of champagne in her perfectly manicured hand, Jisoo looks out to the Parisian night sky from her top storey penthouse balcony. Many would find the breathtaking view of the Eiffel tower paired with the baroque architecture to be the best place for lovers to be. In the famed ‘City of Romance’, she lost the one person she loved most. One whom she treasured the most and felt the most love from. The one person who loved her purely as Kim Jisoo. The pale glow emitted from the city lights below evoked many unspoken memories in her, memories of her fleeting happiness.

It was Jisoo’s first year in Paris and she slowly settled into the Parisian life. Her days as an exchange student was limited and she wanted to make the most out of her time here.  She was absorbing the beauty of her surroundings, taking multiple pictures of the buildings and people, she accidently bumps into someone.

Jisoo turns around and sees a handsome young man, using her limited French, she apologizes. “Je suis désolé*.”

“C’est bon*.” She gave him a small nod and a continued on her way.

She eventually found a small café where she had a little break from exploring the majestic city. She was reading her book when a person pulls out a chair in front of her. She raised her eyes from her book and recognizes the person she bumped into earlier.

“Bonjour*” Jisoo smiled at him, in which he smiled back.

“Hello. We meet again.” The man replied in English.

“Oh, you know English. That’s a relief, my French isn’t too good.”

“I thought you were local as you barely have an accent.”

“I am from Korea.”

“I see, I am originally from Korea too, I moved to France when I was young.”

“My name is Kim Jisoo, it’s very nice to meet you.” Jisoo extended her hand out to him.

“Kim Seokjin, but please call me Jin.” He shakes her hand as a form of a new friendship.

After their meeting at the café, Jisoo found out so much about Jin, his ambitions, dreams and goals, and he knew about hers too. As night fell, they departed but not without exchanging contact information.

And Jisoo was never happier to meet a friend.

The line between love and friendship was blurred in the relationship between Kim Jisoo and Kim Seokjin. They became the best of friends in a short period, connecting with various shared interests, the love for art. However, Jisoo finds herself dangerously close to crossing the line between love and friendship after knowing Jin for three weeks.

The pair often had outings in the evening where the streets were illuminated by the pale city lights. The laughed, sang and danced on the empty streets during the wee hours before dawn. As the sun rose, the two will part ways back to their own respective homes. If one did not know them, one would have thought they were lovers.  

On the second month after their fated meeting, Jisoo was meeting Jin at their usual hangout spot. When she got there, Jin was no where to be seen. Where he usually stood was a bouquet of flowers – roses, her favourite flowers. She picked up the bouquet and reads the card

Jisoo,

When the clock strikes 12am, instead of turning back into the Cinderella no one knew about, you will remain as the princess who captured the heart of Prince Charming. When the clock strikes 12. Turn around and your prince will be there, as always, waiting for you.

She heard the clock strike 12 and she turns around, seeing Jin in a suit that he looked magnificent in. He held his hand out for Jisoo and as she took the hand, he spun her around like a princess. And on the night of the midsummer, they shared their first kiss and Jisoo was over the moon.

Their love prolonged for the two years Jisoo was in Paris. Jin would accompany her and watch her finish her paintings. Jisoo would watch Jin as he took the best shots of life, occasionally being his model and always being his muse.

Jisoo comes back to realization. Jin is the best thing that ever happened to her. No matter what she did, she would be haunted by the memories, good and bad, of Jin.

The next morning, she went back to the apartment she used to share wit Jin. The white cloth over the furniture hasn’t been touched signifying that no one came back for the loft. Thick layers of dust were accumulated from years of no maintenance. She sees a broken picture frame on the ground. She picks it up, seeing her smiling face.

“Soo, we don’t have any pictures together.” Jin lazily tells her one afternoon when the two were staying in bed. Jisoo looks up from her hands, giving him a wide smile.

“Let’s take one right now”

She grabs the polaroid