That corridor was quiet

Clearly, the change of period had just started.

Only a few students seemed to be passing by with serious face. Some in hurry, maybe already late for their next class. Some were going to the parking lot and some just wanted to wear out their fatigue in few available corners.

Wendy decided to walk around the tranquil hallway. She had no class this period and actually it was a relief for her after ridiculous amount of assignments those professors had given them. Her petite legs marched slowly along the way. All of a sudden gentle wind blew her hair softly. It led her to stride outside, to a beautiful park where there were more students who seemed to be enjoying a break time under their packed schedule.

She stared at the sky in silence before inhaling the flowery-scented air deeply. Wanted to fill her often suffocated lungs.

Those memories kept coming back to her. Like a regular routine in her every day, those memories would always find their ways through her mind. At times, she’d smile if the ones that slipped were the happy times, but sometimes her heart wrinkled if they were just plain-saddened ones.

The air felt colder than usual, eliciting a memory she really wanted to press down, forbidding it to come. And Wendy realized, the season had indeed changed, her spring was no longer here. All that remained was a gust of wind that could transform into storm anytime soon, blowing her to fly high then crashing her hard into loneliness.

That air was choking her as her eyes reflexively, as if having their own detector, caught a figure who forced that spring of hers to leave. The one who’d only remained in her mind and always been in her dreams.

The one she really wanted to avoid as big as her wish to also hug that person in her embrace. The one who brought doubts to her, made her often lose in both light and dark, not knowing what to do. The one who used to make her the weakest person on earth for overflowing feelings and love, but now transformed her to become the strongest girl in world for the pain and tears she had given.

That figure was sitting on a bench, alone.

Even from a distance the pale girl could clearly see sorrows had taken the beautiful smile which used to captivate her heart. All that remained were wrinkles and empty eyes, staring into space without focusing on anything.

And Wendy knew, she knew exactly as to why she was being like this.

‘Cause coincidently, she had heard that rumor. When a few days ago it just turned up out of nowhere and became a hot topic in that girl's department as well as others’. Probably as per today, the whole campus already caught a glimpse of that and it was undeniably the reason why she, the one in far distance, lost in despair. Denying the value of her own name,

...Joy.

How a few days ago Gayoung was screaming in the middle of cafeteria, calling Joy a when the latter had just went in, humiliating her with inappropriate things to say in public. Making all those curious eyes to look at her and force her to get out of there in instant. And there were many more frauds Gayoung did just to hurt and tarnish Joy's name.

What Wendy didn’t expect was when she ran into Gayoung in the petite’s own department several times –which she was sure those meetings weren’t accidental— only to show her hatred. Every time they met, it would always be a cold, scornful gaze that Wendy got.

Only one reason she could think of. One reason to justify all Gayoung’s misbehavior. One reason for the cracking sounds each of their hearts made. One reason that unconsciously triggering the selfish part of her to rejoice. One reason, that that relationship, which the two of them start with lies,

…was now over.

But Wendy didn’t want to think of that cunning thought. She didn’t dare to think of that menacing thought. Because that kind of thoughts would only get her hope high, which she knew, was never gonna be granted. Igniting the fire in her heart that hadn’t completely gone, which she knew would never be returned. How the pain she suffered from made her soul die in instant. She didn’t want to- she really didn’t want to feel those indescribable pain again. She couldn’t handle another heart break.

Despite all that happen and humiliation she got, Wendy realized she could never blame Gayoung. Wendy was just an outsider who knew nothing about their relationship. It's not in her plate to criticize or interfere with what the two had gone through.

She looked back at that girl who’s still prisoned in her train of thoughts. Those grieving eyes squeezed her heart.

Wendy bit her lip for what popped out in her head. Cursing the thought that came in for a second there. Cursing her stupidity for letting this heart taking the whole of her again. Slowly, she readied herself to do it and could only hope that regret would never ever be her case, again. But who’d she lie to? She knew better,

…that regret, would always surround her.

Unconsciously her petite legs paced ahead, approaching, to the dark shaded-girl there. Her steps were slow, opposite her heart which was jumping up and down in frantic. It seemed like the taller one was too engaged in her own world that up until Wendy was already at a fair distance, that girl still hadn’t noticed her.

For a moment Wendy thought of running away from her, but the girl's mournful eyes was too difficult for her to ignore. The need to comfort her was greater than the anxiety she felt, the will to bring back her smile was greater than the pain this girl had ever given.

So she braved herself, even only to say hi,

“Hey,” Wendy uttered softly, she even had to try a second time for that girl to notice her presence.

Joy turned her face in a flash, her dark, gloomy face had now disappeared, replaced by millions of uncertainties emanating from it,

Wendy bit her lip harder to swipe away her hesitation, “Are you okay?” She asked gently, hurt left unsaid.

The shock was still clear on Joy's face. For a good long seconds Wendy waited –as what she always did when it came to this girl-, until it finally faded and switched into a form of disbelief of what was before her eyes. Maybe Joy’s surprised why Wendy was suddenly here. Maybe she was surprised why Wendy asked her that question as if she knew Joy wasn’t alright. And maybe she was so surprised why Wendy, the girl she hurt, still wanted to approach her even after the things that happened between them.

“Can I sit here?” said Wendy

Joy remained voiceless though she shifted her body slightly and let Wendy sit beside her. Nonetheless, there’s still a distance separating them, like there’d been an unvoiced agreement in between to not cross that invisible line.

They sat in silence, no one dared to talk.

Wendy absentmindedly stared at grass that got swayed by the wind. Being like this was already enough for now. Although she came to comfort her but to actually doing so was harder than she thought. So she let the silence consumed that space between them, slightly hoping her presence would make Joy feel that she wasn’t alone.

Till that long awaited reply was voiced by Joy, softly,

“I'm fine.”

That was it, after those long minutes, that was the only thing Wendy got.

Her courage began to pile-up, though still ignoring the major question she wanted to ask. Not only about how this girl's doing, not only about what this girl’s currently thinking, but also about what her heart was feeling.

So she ignored questions after questions that overlapped in her head. Instead, she brought Joy softened in stories of days without the latter by her side, as she made sure there’s no heart in any of them. How lately the assignments her professors gave were too time-consuming and thoughtless, how she’s lacking sleep and often late to do her tasks. Even, how she fed the cats she found at a corner of school weeks ago.

Wendy did all that without looking at her.

From the corner of her eyes she could tell Joy was staring at her time to time, sometimes she would hum to let Wendy know that she’s still listening.

But sometimes Joy’s gaze lasted longer for Wendy who could not hold shade of pink emanating through her cheeks. For Joy who kept doing that, looking at her like she wanted to lock every inch of Wendy's face in mind. Wendy dared to refute while the blush was still there,

“What?” she asked and got one lifted-eyebrow by the taller as a respond, “...is there something on my face?” She touched her cheek, what if there’s dirt or another weird stuff on it? That must be why Joy kept staring at her like that.

But then her heart pounded rapidly as Joy shook her head and answered it with things she never thought of,

“It's perfect.” Joy said.

At this rate even a cherry could not compare to how red her cheeks right now. The shade mingled on her face when she heard Joy sigh and speak in an extreme uneasiness on her words,

“Pretty sure you've already heard the news?”

News was just a nicer way to call it. Those eyes were glued to Wendy’s who’s still looking far ahead. She admitted it, she nodded her head to justify Joy's question as well as presumption.

She could feel a sad smile when Joy said, “I know you do. You always do.”

Only when it comes to you

Wendy added her words to Joy’s, inside.

“You know, I'm starting to think that what happen to me… I, I deserve every piece of it.” said Joy, “...even if I count the amount of ruthless things that got me, it’s still not enough for the ones that I've done,” she paused to look at Wendy again, deeply, as if what she said next was specifically for her, “...for all the pain I’ve caused.”

And for the first time Wendy dared to return the gaze hearing that.

They stared at each other, trying to explore thoroughly into each other’s souls. Wendy sought for explanation as to why she could fall for this girl. Searching for a reason why her heart always yielded when dealing with this girl’s. But she still couldn’t find her answer.

Reason.

Yeah.

“Everything happens for a reason.” she said, though she still hadn’t found her own. “I believe that there must be gold hidden in every piled up ashes, for every difficulty we face. You only need to wait for the light to come, so that you’d no longer feel the dark.” she said it clear as if she had overcome her own darkness, the one where Joy also took part in it.

Her words made Joy chuckle

“You two really are different.”

Wendy just smiled, knowing whom Joy compared her to, “What kind of difference?” She asked.

“Well, when you-” for a moment those eyes hesitated, before continuing, “...when you left me, never once you raised your voice at all, let alone said harshly things to me.” that voice suddenly softened, “Still giving me a smile, still locking me dearly in your eyes. You even still said that you lov- “

Joy was caught off guard with her own words. She quickly changed what she wanted to voice, “...still saying those three words.”

Wendy chuckled, feeling the same awkwardness, but Joy wasn’t finished,

“That girl hit me, slandered me, cursed me, even yelled in public to humiliate me.” Joy also chuckled, “In few days, if I don't get hospitalized due to her kicks, surely I’ll get in one for  having mental illness.”

Wendy laughed at that. At least the awkward air had now vanished.

“She's scary but you- you are so kind, so gentle,” Joy eyes kept on swimming, exploring the pale’s orbs,

“...even though you were hurt.”

Wendy responded to it in a smile, that silence had returned. She set her eyes high at sky, didn’t really know what to search for. Maybe there were answers above that T