For a brief moment, Seungwan wondered if she had somehow stepped out of reality and into an alternate universe. Her feet moved on their own accord, her body working on instinct as the narrow path wound its way through the park. She had made it through the radio interview, shaking away the complete shock of Sejeong’s revelation. It had been a monumental effort of professionalism, shunting it aside and simply doing what needed to be done.

Afterwards, everything became a haze. She had time before the appointment with the photographer and had caught a cab back to her apartment. She had stood on those steps, staring at the front door in silent confusion before turning on heel and floating to the park. She was certain that she didn’t actually float, but she couldn’t remember walking. She couldn’t remember the feel of pavement beneath her feet or the crunch of grass.

As she reached the point where Chanyeol and his love had met, she stopped and squatted. Her hand reached out to press against the grass and she bit her lip, mind in turmoil. She had built her world around what she believed to be certainties and truths. The first that those who had matching numbers would fall in love forever. The second being that she herself would never find true love. They were a constant, unchangeable, like a mathematical formula. Telling her she had been wrong would be like convincing someone that one plus one equaled something other than three.

She cast her gaze across the grass to the small hill, the towering ginkgo tree that had suddenly become a center for her life’s changes. It all started there, beneath those branches that stretched out like a canopy. Her eyes fell on the bench and was surprised to see it occupied. She had only ever seen it occupied once before, the woman who had been sitting upon it reading a book the catalyst for her life’s upheaval. Now it was her landlady, sitting comfortably with hands in laps, watching Seungwan. Their eyes met and the woman smiled.

Standing, Seungwan bit her lip and started up the hill. As she drew close to the bench, Mrs Kim’s smile grew wider, the woman’s teeth flashing. She could see wrinkles deepen, dark eyes falling shut in an eye smile. “Good Afternoon, Mrs Kim,” Seungwan said slowly. She came to a stop, unsure what to do or say. She simply hung her arms at the side and sighed.

“I’ve been watching you,” Mrs Kim said in a kind voice. She regarded Seungwan a long moment and gently patted the bench beside her, “You seem to be thinking about something very hard. Why don’t you have a seat?”

Nodding, Seungwan settled down onto the bench and leaned into the hard back, head rolling back to look up into the mass of branches. She could see tiny flecks of blue and white through the rustling leaves. A wind brushed across her, hair seeming to billow about her head. “It seems like everything important in my life happens beneath a tree,” Seungwan mused. The first time she met Joohyun, the day after they drank together, her dream and their first kiss. Each one a small scene in the larger play of her life, but each one vitally important in shaping this act.

“Well, that’s very fitting,” Mrs Kim said. Seungwan rolled her head up and looked at the woman curiously. Mrs Kim gave a low chuckle and reached over to give Seungwan’s knee a friendly pat. “My mother was a shaman and she found symbolism in everything and I guess it kind of was passed down to me. I don’t really look for it but I remember the things she used to tell me,” Mrs Kim went on in explanation. She turned her head to regard the rough bark of the tree, a smile on her lips.

“What did she tell you about trees?” Seungwan asked curiously. 

“Oh, this and that. Different trees tend to mean different things. Like this tree,” she said as she slowly raised her arm. It shook as her wizened finger extended towards the tree that rose above them, “is often thought to symbolize hope, strength and love. It’s very auspicious to have a life changing moment beneath such a symbol.”

Seungwan looked up at the tree once more, seeing it in a different light. It wasn’t just the tree that gave cover to the bench where she and Joohyun met, but was an umbrella of hope and love. She almost wanted to believe it was some kind of fate that had pushed them together beneath these branches but her faith in fate was crumbling. 

“I had a dream about a tree recently,” Seungwan began slowly, her eyes never leaving the yellow leaves overhead that fluttered in the wind, “where the person I love and I kissed beneath a tree. I wish I knew what kind of tree it was so you could tell me what it meant.”

Mrs Kim gave a low laugh and patted Seungwan’s knee again. She glanced at her landlady from the corner of her eye as the woman spoke, “The kind of tree doesn’t matter, Seungwan dear. When you dream about being beneath a tree with someone it’s not the tree, but the person that’s important. It means there is going to be a transformation in your relationship with them.”

Seungwan tore her gaze from the leaves above and fully looked at Mrs Kim. She cocked her head to the side and said, “Did you learn that from your mother as well? Did she interpret dreams?”

“Oh, I’m just very, very old,” Mrs Kim said as she looked about, her eyes seeming to sweep across the horizon, taking in everything at once. “When I was your age, none of this was here. I’ve seen the world change around me and I’ve tried to learn from it all.”

Seungwan fell silent and leaned back into the bench, lips pursed as she contemplated Mrs Kim's words. She’d spent so long believing in the numbers that floated above people’s heads, she wondered why she couldn’t put her stock in these symbols. Joohyun had swept into her life and upended it. She looked around the park, watching people walk the paths or play in the grass.

She suddenly gasped. Mrs Kim looked at her and Seungwan reached up and rubbed her eyes again. She looked about, her head turning almost frantically before standing. “I… can’t see anyone’s numbers. I have to go.” She turned and bowed to Mrs Kim before turning and running towards the street.

She skidded to a stop on the sidewalk and looked for the nearest person, a young man walking down the street with a backpack slung over his shoulder. She looked over his head and found nothing. Panic was starting to well in her and she felt light headed. She reached up and rubbed her eyes again, stared at him and tried to force a number to appear.

With a wisp of white smoke, like a candle being snuffed out, a number appeared over his head. 108,456. She suddenly exhaled a long breath and she grabbed her chest. She was sweating and her heart pounding. She looked about again, the edges of her vision going white from the effort, casting her gaze towards the park where a group of people sat on the grass and a couple of them had those ghostly numbers where none had been just a moment ago.

She slumped to her knees, a wave of relief passing through her. Reaching up, she grasped the side of her head as she felt her head swim. Pain poured through her, bringing hot tears to her eyes. As the world spun around her, she wondered if perhaps it would have been better to not see those numbers. A small hand touched her shoulder, snapping her out of her thoughts and she cast her gaze over her shoulder. Mrs Kim stood there, worry in her eyes.

"I'm okay," Seungwan said breathlessly.

"If you say so, dear," the old lady replied, her wrinkled face drawing into an uncertain smile.

***

Three short raps on the frosted glass window of Joohyun’s office door snapped her attention away from the spreadsheet taking up her computer monitor. She blinked in surprise, eyes darting to see the silhouette of a small figure just on the other side. “Come in,” she called out as she scooted her chair out from behind the monitors.

The door swung wide open and Joohyun felt her stomach drop. A brilliant smile and shining eyes radiated at her from the woman striding in through the door, almost bouncing on heels. “If it isn’t Joohyun! What a surprise,” Jisoo said as she flounced into the wood and metal chair before her desk. 

“A surprise?” Joohyun said taken aback. “This is my office.”

Jisoo gave a dramatic roll of her eyes and crossed her legs, slowly tapping at her knee with a manicured fingernail. “Well, duh,” Jisoo said before a hearty, mirth filled laugh poured out from . “I’m sure you’re very curious as to why I am here.”

Joohyun’s lips formed a tight line as she sat back in her seat, tenting her fingers together as she let her eyes take in the younger girl before her. From the first moment they met one another, it was obvious how much Jisoo loved Jennie. The puppy dog eyes that would follow Jennie around, the constant attention she would pay her. It irked her but the pair had known each other forever and Joohyun knew, without a doubt, that trying to separate them would have been the end of her and Jennie’s relationship.

Not that it would have mattered in the end, she thought to herself bitterly.

“Okay, I’ll bite,” Joohyun said in a cool voice. “Please, Jisoo, tell me why you are here.”

“Because,” Jisoo said as she leaned forward, placing an elbow on knee and propping her chin in palm, voice filled with a playful lilt as she spoke, “I was having breakfast with Lisa and Rose this morning. They had some wonderful stories about this past weekend,” Jisoo said with a wink. “About you and a pretty little singer in your tent.”

Joohyun felt a flush of heat pour across her cheeks and she cleared . She knew Jisoo was attempting to push her off guard. Were it anyone else she may have grown angry but this was simply Jisoos way. The girl was carefree and playful, always teasing but it had never been malicious. Even now, watching the sparkle in Jisoo’s eye, she felt there was no ire being tossed her way.

“I do have a new girlfriend,” Joohyun said slowly, her eyes narrowing. “You came here all the way to talk about that? I’m having a hard time figuring out why.”

“Ah,” Jisoo said and grinned, “It’s real simple actually.” The smile seemed to slip from Jisoo’s lips a moment, a dullness of worry passing across her eyes so fast Joohyun almost missed it before saying in a cheerful tone, “I’m here to make the inevitable happen sooner than later.”

“Inevitable?” Joohyun asked with a quirked brow.

“We have mutual friends,” Jisoo pointed out as she flopped back into the seat again, leg crossed, foot swinging side to side idly as she spoke. “Those mutual friends had been primarily a part of mine and Jennie’s life but that looks to have changed.”

Joohyun gave a slow nod. There was no need to think hard on this. It was quite clear that Jisoo was talking about Lise and Rose. It was something she had thought on it herself and it was fairly certain, at some point, all paths would cross again. “You want to rip the band aid off and get us all together,” Joohyun said slowly.

“Bingo,” Jisoo said as she reached out and snapped her fingers. “That’s exactly what I have in mind. Though not everybody,” she quickly amended. “I was hoping we could get the four of us together first. Let Jennie see how happy you are with your new love.”

“Jisoo,” Joohyun said slowly, her eyes watching the girl’s features, looking for a hint of emotion hidden behind that perpetual smile. “You do know that Jennie and I are just a thing of the past. Our lives run different courses. Two divergent lines that connected for a short bit of time and then went separate ways. You’re her parallel.”

Jisoo’s smile cracked a moment before slipping, a frown forming on her lips. Joohyun wondered if it felt strange for her. “That’s not true though,” Jisoo said in a low voice. “You and Jennie are forever tied together.” When Joohyun started to shake her head in disagreement Jisoo leveled a flat stare at her. “It’s true. I expect you to always be around. I just don’t want to feel like I’m in your shadow.”

“You’re far too bright to be in anyone’s shadow,” Joohyun said, surprised at the comforting tone that had seeped into her voice. It felt strange trying to allay the fears of the woman dating her ex-lover, but she knew where her heart lied. She’d given it to Seungwan and knew, until Jisoo saw that for herself, the worry that Jennie might leave her someday would linger. This meeting was less for Jennie’s benefit as much as it was Jisoo’s. 

“You say that,” Jisoo replied with a self deprecating smirk, “but you’re a hard person to compete against.”

“Except I’m not competing,” Joohyun said quickly, pointing a finger at Jisoo. “Listen. I’m on your side,” Joohyun said emphatically. “I’m not going to lie. I’m fairly afraid of this but you are correct in that it would eventually happen. I can’t speak for Seungwan but if you want us to all meet, I’ll do it.”

“Then how about dinner tonight?” Jisoo suddenly blurted out, so loud it made Joohyun jump in her seat. “Sorry,” Jisoo quickly said following up, squinting her eyes in apology. “I already have dinner reservations at Pierre Gagnaire for 8pm tonight,” Jisoo ventured.

Joohyun almost choked and her eyes grew wide. She almost hissed, “I can’t afford that.”

“Are you sure?” Jisoo said with a smirk as she looked around Joohyun’s office. “I’m sitting here in the office of a CEO who has locations all over Seoul. Are you sure you can’t afford it or that you are locked into the mindset that you can’t?”

Joohyun opened to reiterate that she couldn’t but found herself coming up short. Her eyes rolled up as she quickly tallied numbers in her head and then suddenly said in awe, “Whoa. I can.”

“When you get really rich,” Jisoo said with a laugh, the whimsical charm returning to the woman’s features, “I’ll help teach you how to really spend money. I’m a master at it.” Jisoo gave Joohyun a quick wink. “So, what do you think?”

“I’ll call Seungwan soon,” Joohyun said as she glanced over at the clock, the afternoon already having worn on, her mind lost in the numbers. She bit her lip and tried to recall Seungwan’s schedule for the day and then said, “She’s busy with doing interviews and such for her upcoming album.”

“I saw a video of her singing at Rosie’ club,” Jisoo said. “Does she ever sing to you with that emotional voice?”

Joohyun gave a slow shake of her head, “She’s usually too much of a bumbling dork when we’re together to sing.” Imagines of Seungwan blushing shyly, constantly pulling away yet never running from pursuit, flashed through her mind and it brought a smile to Joohyun’s lips. A beatific, lovesick smile.

“She should,” Jisoo said as she slapped her hands on the arm of the chair. With a small grunt, Jisoo pushed her way up from the chair. Stepping around it, Jisoo turned and walked to the door. Opening it, she paused long enough to look over her shoulder and say to Joohyun, “Find out if your Seungwan can meet us for dinner and let me know, otherwise I’m going to treat Lisa and Rosie.”

“I’ll try and get her there,” Joohyun said, her words a promise.

Jisoo gave a waggle of her fingers in goodbye and disappeared through the door, closing it behind her. Leaning back, Joohyun let out a long sight and wondered how Seungwan will take the sudden invitation. She was certain Seungwan wouldn’t say no but wasn’t going to speak for her. Reaching out to her desk, Joohyun took her phone in hand and quietly pondered just the right words for the text message to send Seungwan.

Authors Notes: I apologize for how long I was away from writing. For those who have read my previous authors notes, I got married this past summer. Well, I also found myself pregnant just a few weeks after. Between being newly married, work, morning sickness and just being tired, writing took a backseat. I don't have time for rewrites so unedited, raw chapters will be posted. Someday I hope to come back and edit/refine them. I'm also going to try and finish this story before I pop my little one out lol 

I seem to have misplaced the header graphic for this story... once I find it, I will get that put up on this chapter! It has to be somewhere in my files. Somewhere...