Please listen to UP Original Soundtrack, especially Married Life and Stuff We Did while reading this.

----------

Joohyun has always been a quiet and reserved child. She rarely did anything that was always considered fun by the kid who had the same age as her. She always playing by herself. Until she stumbled upon something that was catching her interest.

 

Her doe, innocent eyes finally filled with something. It was called the amazement. And that feeling soon will bloom once her parents took her to the cinema to watch the most popular documentary film at that time.

 

“What you are witnessing is footage never before seen by civilized humanity,” said someone from the film, making her interested. “A lost world in South America, lurking in the shadow of the majestic Paradise Falls.”

 

Her little mouth opened up. She is so focused on the film. “It sports plants and animals undiscovered by science! Who would dare set foot on his inhospitable surface? Why are a subject today, Kwon BoA! The beloved explorer lands her dirigible ‘The Spirit of Adventure’ in Seoul this week. Completing a year-long expedition to the lost world. This, wider than aircraft, was designed by months herself and is longer than 22 paddy wagons end to end!”

 

Fascination can be seen from little Joohyun’s face. She has a big smile on her face, wearing a hat with goggles as the accessories, a BoA’s signature hat. She can feel from inside her heart, that she was connected with her. As an explorer.

 

BoA wears the goggles, and giving a thumbs-up as she said her signature line, “Adventure is out there!” Little Joohyun copies it. Everything looks amazing from her point of view.

 

“Ladies and gentlemen! I give you the monster of Paradise Falls!” announce BoA from the big screen. A big veil beside her falls down, reveal a skeleton of some giant bird, or as she said, the monster of Paradise Falls.

 

Joohyun gasped. She never saw anything that big before. Her minds working up. How did she able to caught and get this monster? With that question alone, her mind becoming full of fireworks, before it went quickly because of the next scene.

 

A couple of scientists seemingly testing the authenticity of the skeleton that was brought by BoA. And they decided that the skeleton was fake. The National Explorer Society accuses her of fabricating the skeleton.

 

“No!” protested Joohyun. Her forehead has frowned. Fire is visible from her eyes. Her hand made a little fist as she pounded the cinema’s seat.

 

Little Joohyun looked at her as she was being stripped from her membership. She gasped, disappointed that her idol is no longer the official member of the National Explorer Society.

 

Being humiliated, BoA is going to return to Paradise Falls as she made her promise. “I’m going to catch the monster alive! And I will not come back until I do,” stated her with passion.

 

“And saw the explorer’s off to clear her name! Bon voyage, Kwon BoA! And good luck capturing the monster of Paradise Falls!”

 

The image etched clearly to little Joohyun’s minds. With her purple balloon and the writings of ‘Spirit of Adventure’ on it, she started running around her neighborhood, making plane noises from .

 

Jumping off from the little pebble of stone, imagining that it was Pikes Peak as she hurdles them. Jumping off from the crack of the sidewalk, imagining that it was Grand Canyon as she hurdles them too. She was going to jump off from the chopped tree, before getting caught by it and decided to turn around it, imagining that it was Mount Everest.

 

She was in her own world until she heard voices from an old, abandoned house. “Adventure is out there!” yelled someone, making her stop.

 

She looked to her right, discovering that she stopped right exactly in front of the house. It looks dark and old from outside, a sight was pretty creepy for a little child.

 

She heard loud noises again, as she looked at the wind eye on the top of the old house, moving as it was being controlled by some ropes. She’s pretty sure that the source of loud noises coming from inside of the house is a girl. Curious, she decided to step inside the old house.

 

Bringing her beloved purple balloon with her, she was greeted by the smell of dust and old wood after stepped inside the house. The light coming from somewhere on the top, making the inside of the house is not as dark as she imagines it. She follows the girl’s sound, finding a part of the house that was completely not looked like some old, abandoned house.

 

The girl was in front of some old wood window, screaming something incoherent. There is a hamster beside the girl, running inside a wheel. Joohyun decides to look around, finding a wall that was full of an article from some newspaper. Not just some usual article, it was Kwon BoA’s article, Joohyun’s favorite explorer and idol.

 

Joohyun awed. The girl got all of her idol’s important article. About her journey, her achievement, and the latest one, her vow to go back to South America and finding the monster and will never come back before she founds it.

 

She turns around when suddenly the girl is in front of her. “What are you doing?” the girl asked with a frown, suspicious by her presence.

 

Joohyun gasped, shocked because the girl suddenly in front of her, making her released her hold over her balloon and it’s gone to somewhere up.

 

“Don’t you know it’s an exclusive club?” asked the girl, leaned herself forward toward Joohyun, who stepped back because of the closeness. “Only explorers get in here. Not just any kid of the street with the helmet and a pair of goggles. Do you think you got all it takes? Well, do you?”

 

Joohyun opened and closed , don’t know what to say from the girl’s sudden attack towards her. Her eyes looked everywhere, panic visible on her eyes. “I-I-I-“

 

“Okay, you’re in!” exclaimed the girl suddenly, giving her hand. “Welcome aboard!” she said, with a wide and full smile.

 

Joohyun looks at the hand, clasping her hands together, does not have some courage to look up, or in her case, to look at the girl.

 

“What’s wrong?” asked the girl, innocently confused with how Joohyun act. “Can’t you talk?”

 

The girl trying to have eye contact with her, yet she refused. Joohyun still looks down towards her clasped hands. She tries to look at the girl, quickly averted her gaze down again.

 

The girl blink, is open. She finally understood Joohyun’s condition. “Hey, I don’t bite,” she said with a concerned frown. She took off her helmet and goggles, revealed her messy, brown short hair.

 

Joohyun got a bit taken aback by the sudden action. The girl smiled widely, took off one of the pins that were attached to her body. “You and me, we’re in the club now,” she said softly, attaching the pin that was made from some bottle cap to Joohyun’s clothes.

 

Joohyun looked at the pin. She feeling proud because she’s finally in the club. She looked at the girl with a smile, a little blush evident on her cheek.

 

“I saw where your balloon went,” said the girl, pointing to the top. “Come on let’s go get it!”

 

She’s slowly following the girl before stepped back because of her sudden action again. “My name’s Seungwan!” she said, took one of Joohyun’s hand, making her blushed.

 

“There it is!” exclaimed Seungwan once they’re upstairs, pointing at her beloved purple balloon. The only way to get her balloon is for her to walk at one old wooden board, that was currently trying to survive by its own self. Joohyun gulped, suddenly feeling nervous and scared.

 

“Well, go ahead,” said Seungwan while pushing Joohyun towards the board, making her already stand on it. Seungwan pushed her once again, making her already near the middle part of the board.

She looked back to Seungwan, trying to plead to her. “Go on,” Seungwan said, making a hand movement that told her to just walk forward and get her balloon.

 

She looked forward again. Fear completely covered her face. She took a deep breath. Her mind chanting ‘I’m an explorer! I’m brave!’ repeatedly. She put on her goggles, her face suddenly full of determination.

 

One step it’s all it takes for her to suddenly screamed and falling down to the floor below. The blaring sound of an ambulance is the only thing she heard.

 

---

 

Joohyun comfortably tucked in her bed. With a flashlight on her left hand, she read a book on her lap. She used her broken right arm to change to another page.

 

Something suddenly knocking her book. She gasped from shocked, slightly winced from the pain made by her sudden movement that quickly took effect to her broken arm. Finally, take a good look at the culprit, it was her beloved purple balloon with some wood tied at the very bottom part of the line thread.

 

“Hey, kid!” someone suddenly showed up from her window, making her screamed. She made another extravagant movement, making her broken right arm hit her face, resulting in her twice the pain.

 

“I thought you might be a little cured up,” said Seungwan, going inside Joohyun’s bedroom from her window. “I got something to show you!”

 

They made a little tent from Joohyun’s blanket and tight it with some rope (mostly it was Seungwan’s work because Joohyun’s right arm is broke). With the help of the flashlight, they illuminate their little tent.

 

“I am about to let you see something I have never shown to another human being,” said Seungwan, looking around with squinted eyes, holding something behind her back. “Ever! In my life!”

 

Joohyun looked at her with wide eyes. Her mind is getting jumbled up. What is it? What is this something that she never showed to anyone?

 

“You have to swear you will not tell anyone!”

 

Joohyun nodded quickly, but somehow it wasn’t enough for Seungwan. Seungwan squinted her eyes. “Cross your heart. Do it!”

 

Joohyun quickly crosses her heart with her left hand, panic evident in her eyes. She raised her arm up, asking for some approvement from Seungwan.

 

Seungwan smirked. She finally showed her something that was hidden on her back. “My adventure book,” Seungwan said, holding her book up, covering half of her face. She quickly put it down and opened it. Joohyun leaned down, trying to see it clearly.

 

“You know her,” Seungwan said after opening her book, revealing the mighty explorer Kwon BoA.

 

Joohyun gasped happily. A smile quickly bloomed on her face. She leaned down more, clearly interested in Seungwan’s book.

 

“Kwon BoA, the explorer,” explained Seungwan, looking straight in the eye towards Joohyun. They both have this happy smile on their face. “When I get big, I’m going where she’s going.”

 

Seungwan removed BoA’s photo, revealing a map. “South America,” gasped Seungwan, once again looking at Joohyun. “It’s like America, but south!”

 

“Wonder where I’m gonna live?” asked Seungwan while turning to another page. There is a picture of a big fall, besides it, there was a scrabbled of a house. “Paradise Falls, a land lost in time.”

 

“I ripped this right off from a library book,” stated Seungwan while making a ripping motion, making Joohyun gasped out of shock from her statement.

 

“I’m gonna move my clubhouse there and park it right next to the falls,” explained Seungwan, pointing to the falls.

 

“Who knows what lives up there. And once I get there, well I’m saving all these pages for all the adventures I’m gonna have,” said Seungwan, showing Joohyun all of the empty pages, and going back to this page completely filled with the word ‘STUFF I’m Going TO DO.’

 

“Only,” Seungwan stopped for a while, leaning herself to her crossed arms before continuing, “I just don’t know how I’m gonna get to Paradise Falls.” She looked at the page sadly.

 

Joohyun looked at her, quickly trying to find something in her room. She stopped her gaze at the mobile that was hanging above. Seungwan followed her gaze, and also stopped on the mobile.

 

She rose up. “That’s it! You can take us there in a mobile!” exclaimed Seungwan, before squinting her eyes and leaned forward. “Swear you’ll take us! Cross your heart!”

 

Seungwan pointed at her, pushing her once again, “Cross it! Cross your heart!”

 

Joohyun quickly crossed her heart, making Seungwan satisfied. “Good, you promised. No backing out.” Joohyun answered Seungwan with a shook of her head.

 

Seungwan smiled, quickly grabbed her book. “Well, see you tomorrow, kid. Bye!” she said, leaving their little tent and running towards the window. “Adventure is out there!” yelled Seungwan once she’s outside.

 

She was quickly gone from Joohyun’s view, before showing up again once. Seungwan looked at her, and said, “You know, you don’t talk very much… I like you!” before she has gone for real.

 

Joohyun felt something hot on her cheeks. She smiled. She looked out to the window with amazement on her eyes. That night, her dream is completely filled with Seungwan and their adventures together.

 

---

 

A flash blinded Joohyun’s eyes. A loud snap filled the church. She looked at the person beside her. Seungwan, dressed in her magnificent long white dress, her wedding dress. She jumped giddily out of excitement.

 

Joohyun chuckled towards her now wife’s action. She held out her hand, meant for Seungwan to take it and they will walk out the chapel together. Yet, Seungwan jumped at her and give her a big, sweet kiss on her lips, which Joohyun happily accept and kissed her back.

 

Once they apart, she can hear a loud roar coming from the guests. She looked at her beautiful Seungwan. She smiled so wide. Joohyun has never been this proud.

 

They arrived at some old, abandoned house. A sold sign clearly can be seen at the front lawn. They both smiling. It’s the old house where they met for the first time. Determined to step on the next stage of their life, they repaired and rebuild the house on their own.

 

They push two different chairs, right in front of the big window where Joohyun spotted Seungwan for the first time in the old house many years ago, putting it side by side in the living room.

 

Seungwan was painting their name at the mailbox. “Joohyun & Seungwan”. Pink color for Joohyun, blue color for Seungwan. “It’s all done!” exclaimed Seungwan with a smile.

 

“Let me see,” said Joohyun, leaned her body to see her wife’s work better. A smile bloomed on her face. She removed her hand that was plastered on the mailbox and gasped when saw that she just made a pink handprint on it. “Oh no,” she said sadly.

 

Seungwan chuckled, putting her hand on the mailbox, too. Making a blue handprint. “There! Now the mailbox has two handprints!” exclaimed Seungwan, making both of them smiled sweetly to each other.

 

Joohyun looked at the paper on her hand. It was the ripped pages of Paradise Falls with the clubhouse drawing beside it, that Seungwan made when they were a child and put it in her adventure book. She looked to their house, completely matched with the clubhouse. Their lovely house is finally done.

 

---

 

“Come on, Joohyun. Quick!” said Seungwan as they climbed at some hillside near their house.

 

Seungwan put their picnic basket, putting her hands on her hips as she saw Joohyun struggling to climb up the hills. “Why the hill is so big,” grumbled Joohyun, making Seungwan laughed.

 

“Oh, come on. It’s not that big. Come on, honey, a little bit more,” Seungwan sends some support to her. With a couple of grumbles, she finally arrived at the top of the hill.

 

Joohyun quickly lay onto the picnic blanket that Seungwan already set. “We never going here often,” she said between breaths.

 

Seungwan laughed before leaning towards Joohyun and give her a peck. “Yes, we are. Look at the sight! It’s beautiful.”

 

Joohyun looked at her wife who watching the scenery with fascination. A smile crept up on her face. “Yes, it is beautiful,” muttered her as she looked at Seungwan.

 

Seungwan decided to lay beside her, watching the blue sky that was completely surrounded by a bunch of fluffy clouds. A smile plastered on her face. She suddenly pointing up. “Look at the clouds. It’s looked like some turtle trying to find food in the middle of the jungle.”

 

Joohyun looked up and saw the cloud transforming into a turtle. She heard Seungwan’s explanation of the sky on top of them. She chose to close her eyes, completely focused to hear Seungwan’s voice as she told her story. Joohyun smiled. She is the luckiest person in the whole world now because she had her as her wife. And Joohyun could never felt luckier than this.

 

---

 

Seungwan going out from the South America zoo section with a bird on her right hand. She approached Joohyun who currently taking care of her balloon cart. She smiled at the sight and decided to cough, trying to get Joohyun’s attention.

 

Joohyun looked to her back, a sight of Seungwan full of her glory with her zookeeper uniform is a sight to die for. “Hi, beautiful,” greeted her.

 

Seungwan chuckled. “Hi to you too, beautiful. Look who I got here.”

 

Joohyun caught the sight of the bird on her right arm. Seungwan watching her face quickly turned pale and laughed. “It’s okay. She’s tame. The kindest bird here.”

 

“Last time you said it, a bird almost attacked me,” deadpanned Joohyun making Seungwan’s laugh louder.

 

“Oh, come on, I already apologized to you because of that.”

 

Joohyun’s mind quickly flashed back in time to the ‘apology’. Seungwan saying sorry, and all of sudden they getting jumbled up on top of their shared bed, making the cold night quickly shifted to one of the hottest night ever.

 

“Stop thinking about that, Joohyun. I can see it clearly from your eyes,” Seungwan cut her thought, making her mischievously smiled.

 

“You’re the one who brings it up again, and you expect me to not think about ‘that’?”

 

Seungwan coughed, making her laughed. Seungwan never won against Joohyun when they’re bantering. “Forget it. What are you doing?”

 

“Oh,” Joohyun removed her hands from the cart, showing it to Seungwan. “Tara! Behold, my balloon cart!”

 

The cart is filled with balloons and is available in many colors, especially Joohyun’s favorite color which is purple. She looked back to her cart, founding it floating as a result of many balloons tied to the cart.

 

Joohyun gasped, quickly grasped her cart, trying to save it. Seungwan’s laughed from the scene. Her wife sometimes could be the cutest dork, and she loves it. Joohyun sheepishly smiled when Seungwan said, “Next time, be careful. We don’t want airplanes to suddenly find a balloon cart in the middle of the sky.”

 

---

 

They were reading a novel side by side, at their respective seats. Joohyun always loves this moment. A moment where she can relax with her wife, no need to think about anything else.

 

She leaned one of her hand to the armchair, holding the book with only one hand. Suddenly, she felt soft fingers that quickly latched themselves to her own. She grasped the hand softly, knowing whose hand it is as she continued to read her book, don’t even need to break her eye contact with it.

 

---

 

They’re back at their favorite picnic spot. They lied beside each other again, surveying the sky. The moment is so peaceful for both of them, nothing could disturb it.

 

“Look, Joohyun!” exclaimed Seungwan suddenly. “I saw an elephant with wings at the cloud. I wonder do they can fly like unicorns?”

 

Joohyun looked at the cloud, changed into an elephant with wings. “The wings need to be so big, then.”

 

Seungwan chuckled. “True. You should try this, Hyun. Find a cloud and tell me what it looks like.”

 

Joohyun hummed, trying to find a cloud that resembles something and finally found it. “There! The cloud looks like a little baby!”

 

Seungwan looked at the pointed cloud. She suddenly lights up, feeling excited all of a sudden. “Yeah, it looks like a baby. In fact, all of the clouds look like a baby!”

 

Joohyun is a bit stunned by her wife’s sudden exclamation, yet she smiled. She looked at her softly, who already looked at her with the same amount of sweetness oozing out from her eyes. “It’s finally this moment, huh?” asked Joohyun, a happy tone that can be heard.

 

Seungwan smiled, grasped Joohyun’s hand. “Let’s do this, Hyun.”

 

They quickly prepared everything for this. They even already made a special room for their soon-to-be baby. Seungwan already painted a wall mural in the room. A stork carrying a bundle with its beak.

 

Joohyun already prepared the bed. She put lots of mobiles above, decorating it. Seungwan suddenly circled her arms at her waist, putting her head on Joohyun’s shoulder. “I can’t wait, Hyun.”

 

Joohyun smiled. She her wife's hands slowly. “Me too,” muttered her with a smile on her face.

 

Their mind already making them imagining things. Until all of that needs to be crumbled down with one announcement as the doctor declared that Seungwan can’t get pregnant.

 

Seungwan put her hands on her face, crying as the doctor tells them the reason. Joohyun grasped her wife’s shoulders, trying to calm her down as she heard the doctor with empty eyes. Joohyun never knew that a heart could break twice at the same time. From the announcement and also the sight of her wife.

 

Seungwan is not the same as she used to be after that. Her loud self completely gone, exchanged by her mute, silence self. Joohyun sometimes could hear silent cries in the middle of the night. Her heart is broken, and she can’t handle it anymore.

 

She looked at her wife from the window, as Seungwan sit outside on a chair, under the big tree at their yard. Wind blowing her long, brown hair. Joohyun sighed, looking at the sight in front of her. She tried so many things to make her happy again, but none of it seems to succeed.

 

Joohyun suddenly remembered something and quickly goes to the back, getting whatever it is that was important.

 

Seungwan still closed her eyes as she felt someone held her hand. She opened it, the view of Joohyun completely filled her gaze. She smiled a little to her, quickly being reciprocated by Joohyun.

 

“I know things been hard,” muttered Joohyun as she squeezed Seungwan’s hand softly. “And it’s just so hard for us to move. But I think, it’s already the time.”

 

Joohyun hands her some old book that was being recognized quickly by Seungwan. Her childhood adventure book. She smiled, knowing that Joohyun is right.

 

“Let’s go. We have one dream for us to chase.”

 

They decided to make a shrine for their adventure dream. Seungwan painted a Paradise Falls on the wall, with a house beside it over the mantle. Their future house. Joohyun put everything under the painting. Binoculars, maps, pictures, mobiles figurine, compass, and even a native bird figurine.

 

“Our little shrine finally done,” said Seungwan as she put finishing touches on the shrine.

 

“Living in Paradise Falls,” muttered Joohyun, making Seungwan smiled.

 

Seungwan showed Joohyun a glass jar, with the writing of ‘Paradise Falls’ over the paper plastered there. She looked at Joohyun with fire from the excitement of adventure on her eyes. “With this jar existence, promise me that every day, we will put one coin in here. One coin.”

 

Seungwan drops a couple of coins inside the jar. “Since we completely need money to move permanently there, we need to save up,” she stopped herself, making a cross-motion on her heart. “Now, promise me.”

 

Joohyun chuckled at her wife’s antics, but still doing the cross. “I promise, and I will put many coins there so we can move to Paradise Falls.”

 

Seungwan smiled. “That’s my wife.”

 

Thus, every day they drop a coin in there. The jar quickly filled with many kinds of coins. Before they work, after they work, or when they have coins, they put it there. The jar is almost full until they need to do something with it.

 

They were on their lovely trip to somewhere in their car. The lovely moment drastically changed after they run into something, making the tire gone flat.

 

They both standing in front of the glass jar. Their face was reluctant. Joohyun, the one who held the hammer, looked at Seungwan like she wants to ask for permission. Seungwan shrugged. “Well, we can always save up again, right? The tire needs this more than Paradise Falls.”

 

Joohyun took a deep breath, before swinging the hammer to the jar, breaking it. The tire quickly becomes a new one, completely fine with no scar at all.

 

And, this kind of thing just keeps repeated and repeated. A moment when they need to break the jar for using the money over something important.

 

Joohyun suddenly broke her leg by missing a step over something. Seungwan sighed. “Sometimes I completely forgot that you can be a little bit clumsy.”

 

Joohyun sheepishly chuckled. “Well, it can’t be helped.”

 

Seungwan smiled. “Next time, be careful, okay?”

 

Joohyun nodded and suddenly remembered something. “Will we use that jar again?”

 

“Well, we can’t go to Paradise Falls if your leg is broken, right? Yup, I used the money.”

 

They started to save up again after that and just need to use it again when a storm hit their town, resulting in a big tree falling to their house’s roof because of the strong wind. Breaking the jar once again, they used the money to repair the roof.

 

As time passed, they completely forgot the beloved, glass jar.

 

---

 

Joohyun grumbled as she tried to tie up her tie, resulting in a failure. She huffed. Why wearing a goddamn tie is so hard?

 

“Babe, you ready?” asked Seungwan from the living room.

 

“In a while,” said Joohyun, leaving the bedroom, quickly strutting to Seungwan who already waited in front of the door.

 

“What took you so long?” asked Seungwan.

 

Joohyun pouted. “I can’t wear a goddamn tie. It’s frustrating.”

 

Seungwan tries to hold back her laughter as she reached her tie. “Here, let me.” Seungwan does wonder with her hands, resulting in a completely perfect tie on Joohyun’s neck.

 

wide open when Seungwan said, “Seriously, Hyun, it’s the easiest thing in the whole world.”

 

Joohyun smiled giddily. “Well, from now on, my tie will be tied up by you.”

 

Seungwan laughed, and give her a quick peck on the lips. “Whatever you say, Hyun. Come on, we’re going to be late.”

 

And every day, Seungwan will always be the one to tie Joohyun’s tie in front of the door before going to work. This keeps happening until the strands of their hair naturally changed color into white. Their face is full of crinkles, but stay happy nevertheless.

 

“And, done,” muttered older Seungwan as she tidying up Joohyun’s butterfly tie.

 

Joohyun smiling widely to her. “Thanks, my beautiful wife.”

 

They look at each other in front of the big mirror, when Seungwan decides to give her a big, wet, lovely kissed on her cheek. Joohyun laughed, lovingly accept the kiss.

 

They still work at the zoo. Seungwan, with her never aged zookeeper uniform taking pictures of overexcited kids, while Joohyun giving them balloons. Joohyun casually leaned her elbow to prevent the balloon cart from floating to the sky.

 

---

 

Joohyun dimmed the light in the living room, setting up the vinyl record. Satisfied with how the music came out, she goes to Seungwan who comfortably seated at her beloved chair. She offers her one of her hand, answered by Seungwan raising one of her eyebrows.

 

“We’re too old for this, Hyun,” said Seungwan between giggles.

 

Joohyun smiled softly. “But never too old for this kind of romantic things, honey.”

 

Seungwan laughed. “I thought I’m the one who’s being in charge of cheesy words.”

 

Joohyun's smile got bigger as Seungwan accept and grabbed her hand. “Let me be the one who in charge of that tonight.”

 

They swayed softly, following the rhythm of the song. Their bodies still fit like it used to be. Smile evident on their faces. The night just getting more romantic and more lovely.

 

Far in the corner, the Paradise Falls jar, now dusty and forgotten, seated comfortably. Looking at the two old women who still madly in love with each other.

 

They’re doing their weekly chores. Seungwan wiped the outside window, while Joohyun wiped the inside window. They both looking at each other after finished wiping the window, held themselves not to touch each other because they will end up touching the glass, and doing more work to clean it.

 

Seungwan was sweeping the floor as Joohyun cleaned their lovely Paradise Falls shrine. She was cleaning the mantle as she spotted Seungwan’s child photos. She smiled and took it with her hand, inspecting it.

 

Seungwan was wearing her helmet and a pair of goggles there, making her giggles. Exactly looking like the first time she met Seungwan, right in the same spot. She looked up, spotting the Paradise Falls mural that her wife made. Her smiles fade. She hadn’t made Seungwan’s lifetime dream turn into reality.

 

She looked back, finding her still sweeping the floor. Her old body has bent down slightly, her hand's movement has to get slower. Joohyun looked back to the pictures when an idea strikes her brain. She smiled. She knew this time she will succeed by making Seungwan’s dream came true.

 

---

 

“There you go. Enjoy the travel,” said the woman in front of the counter, giving her two flight tickets to Venezuela. One for her, one for Seungwan.

 

Joohyun is all smiled while receiving it. “Thank you,” muttered her, tucking it safely inside a picnic bucket that she already brought since the afternoon.

 

She planned to take Seungwan to their usual picnic spot, and give her the ticket there. Her smile blooms, wondering how her wife will react to this.

 

“Come on, Seungwan!” cheered Joohyun as she already reached the top of the hill.

 

Seungwan just chuckled. “Wait, I-“

 

Joohyun’s face quickly changed as her wife’s falls. She looked as Seungwan trying to stand again but failed. She quickly runs to her, trying to grasp and help her wife.

 

Something is wrong, and Joohyun doesn’t like the feel of it.

 

Seungwan currently tucked comfortably in a hospital bed. She was reading through her childhood adventure book, as a purple balloon with a wood tied on it, hit the book. She changed her attention, finding Joohyun standing in front of the door with a small smile on her face.

 

“Come here, Hyun,” said Seungwan, giving out her hand to Joohyun.

 

Joohyun grasped her hand, standing beside her. “You will be okay,” muttered her.

 

She knew Seungwan would never be okay.

 

Seungwan smiled, pushing her adventure book towards Joohyun. “This is for you. Please, keep it safe.”

 

Joohyun looks at the book on her hand. She looked at Seungwan, who gave her a small smile and a nod. She smiled, give Seungwan’s forehead a tiny peck as she muttered. “I love you, Seungwan. So much.”

 

Seungwan pats her cheek softly, trying to let her know that she loves her too.

 

But sometimes, time doesn’t enough to let us cherish our time with our beloved ones.

 

Joohyun sat alone next to flower wrath and balloon bouquets inside the church. Seungwan’s funeral just finished.

 

As she holding to her beloved purple balloon, she left the church with a heavy heart, walking to her home.

 

As she stepped inside, she doesn’t like the aura that emanates from inside. It was cold, horrible, dark. Not like when Seungwan is still beside her.

 

Joohyun sighed as she goes to the living room, and sit on her beloved chair. The chair on her left side, usually filled with Seungwan’s whole being, is empty and vacant. She looks at it, sadness is evident in her eyes.

 

She grabbed Seungwan’s adventure book, opening it. She was greeted by Paradise Falls drawing (that Seungwan ripped from a book in the library), with the drawing of their home beside it. She it softly, before changing to the next pages.

 

She was greeted by Seungwan’s child pictorial. The whole page scream adventure to Joohyun. There was writing of “When I move to Venezuela, I wonder if I should live near a village.” The move that never happened. Seungwan attached so many pictures. Pictures of her watering a plant and a self-drawing of a platypus.

 

Joohyun moved to the next page. An article was plastered on it. An article about the explorer. She remembers how both of them clearly fancies explorer at that time, especially Kwon BoA. She moved to the next page, a picture of child Seungwan holding a bird greeted her. There was a bird feather plastered on it, and also a bird drawing. Seungwan really loves bird, even until the end of her time.

 

She finally reached the dreaded page. STUFF I’m Going TO DO. Joohyun sighed deeply as she closed her eyes, preventing tears from coming out from her eyes. She looked up, still with her eyes closed. Her face is full of grieves.

 

I’m sorry, Seungwan. I’m not able to make your whole time dream come true.

 

She looked back to the book, wanting to close it, as she discovered something beneath the page. “Huh?” muttered Joohyun, confused. Wasn’t the next page meant to be empty all this time?

 

She turns it as her eyes filled with shock. She was greeted by the pictorial of their marriage. Both of them, wearing their beautiful wedding dress, all smiling while looking at the camera. They’re holding each other’s hands, standing so close even they touched each other heads.

 

Joohyun still looked at it in shock, as she turned to the next page, found a picture of her and Seungwan comfortably chilling on their yard, under the big tree. Beside it, there was a picture of her holding Seungwan at the waist, prevent her to fall as they were dancing in front of the entrance door of their house.

 

A small smile crept to Joohyun’s face. She doesn’t have any idea about this at all. She quickly changing pages, trying to see what else Seungwan has attached there.

 

A picture of Seungwan kissing her cheek as they celebrate Joohyun’s birthday. A picture of Joohyun holding a mini cake with candlelight on top of it, giving it to Seungwan as she blew the fire off. A picture of them inside their beloved car, getting ready for their usual road trip.

 

A picture of them feeding wild doves in the park. A picture of Seungwan leaned to sick Joohyun as she smiling while taking care of her, Joohyun wrapped in her blanket while trying to sip her hot tea. A picture of them enjoying their lovely picnic at their favorite spot, the hills.

 

Joohyun smiled fondly as she looked at it. Memories flooding her mind as she looked more to the pictures attached. Wonderful, beautiful memories of her with Seungwan. She turned to the next page, greeted by a single pictorial of old Seungwan, seated on her favorite chair while looking the outside world from the window.

 

Her smiles got wider while looking at it, turning to the last page. The picture of her and Seungwan, on their beloved seats, holding hands. Joohyun's smile is never gone as she inspected the picture. She looked down, finding handwriting that was so familiar to her mind and her eyes.

 

Thanks for the adventure—now go have a new one! Love, Seungwan.

 

Joohyun finally sported her biggest smile that day as she looked at the handwriting, it softly. She looked at the vacant chair beside her, all smiling. “Thank you, Seungwan-ah. I love you,” muttered Joohyun as she crossed her heart.

 

Because sometimes, the important part is not the destination, but the journey in it.

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I'm crying so hard while making this.