Byulyi picks up a leaf off the ground.

She doesn’t know what compelled her to do so, but her stress had reached its peak all too suddenly and she just had to stop.

Breath.

And it was the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes. A perfect golden gingko leaf. She could pinch its stem between her thumb and finger and it stood proud and small. She looks back at the ground and there are hundreds of them, paving the sidewalk all yellow and warm. She takes a step and they’re underfoot and she wonders how long she’s been walking on a golden path.

For the first time in a long time, Byulyi looks at her surroundings. The wind blows and it shakes the clusters of leaves on trees that are ready to retire. Some fall away like red and gold butterflies. There are so many colors, all she had to do was look up.

Someone enters her line of sight. It’s the girl from the class she just ditched. The insanely beautiful girl that Byulyi somehow always caught glancing her way.

“Hey, um, I saw you run out. Are you alright?” She sounds genuinely concerned, but there’s also a pretty blush on her cheeks. She raises her arm and hesitates a bit before gently placing her hand on Byulyi’s back. It’s small, but warm. It makes Byulyi blush too. She lets out a sigh that shudders like it’s trying to shake something off, like the trees shaking off their leaves.

“I’m fine now.” She feels the girls hand move up and down in comfort. “Better.”

The hand leaves her back and Byulyi feels a chill where it used to be. It’s held in front of her now. She looks up into the girl’s eyes and they’re so warm it chases the cold away.

“Moon Byulyi right? I’m Kim Yongsun.”

Byulyi looks at Yongsun and she looks at the kaleidoscope of leaves all around her and despite the fact that it’s fall, Byulyi feels herself bloom.