Bits

Yena giddily pulled out her phone and on her face is a smile. Chaewon glances to her, eyebrow raised. 

If you look from a distance Chaewon looks like someone that is hard to befriend. She has a very sharp feature, eyes that looks like its going to kill you in addition to that rebelling pink hair. It’s not helping that she is wearing all black. That one bit makes her fit in, in the aesthetic of the city.

“Why do you always looks like you are going to kill me whenever I check my phone?” Yena whined.

Chaewon rolled her eyes and sip her coffee, fixes the way she is seated to observe Yena more.

The duck like girl is happily sending messages.

“Is it Yuri?” Chaewon stoically ask.

Yena nodded but did not pay chaewon much attention as she continually happily message Yuri.

“We’re going to see her soon.” Chaewon leaned on the table. “What are you two talking about?”

“Why do you need to know?” Yena scoffed.

“Nevermind.” Chaewon leaned back to her seat. Yena did not catch her irritation.

 “She just message me about our meeting. Im excited. Thank you Chae.” She innocently smiled, while still continually typing on her phone.

Chaewon was not fond of the older girl messaging Yuri… there is a reason why. There is always a reason why, after all Yuri is…

Chaewon took a deep breath, she fiddles with her phone and occasionally sipping from her coffee. From time to time she will throw a glance at the gigling girl. She tried her best not to show annoyance.

Her expression quickly change when her phone lit up, a message from the professor she was messaging earlier. She quickly drink the remaining content of her coffee and quickly bit the remaining slice of peach bread, urging her companion to do the same.

“Stand up, we are going.” She commanded, putting on her leather jacket and black cap. She carefully pick up the bouquet of freesias. 

Yena is confused but she quickly followed her. Her attention is still on her phone messaging Yuri.

This further annoy Chaewon who tried her best to ignore what she is doing. Today, she has something important to do. She glance back to her friend and in midst of all those smiles, giggles and laughter, deep in those brown orbs are sadness.

Yena is lost, she have been trying to get her back  on her feet – for a year now. Maybe getting her back to before is not the way, but what she needs for Yena to do is to move forward. Stop locking herself in her white pristine room and start connecting to them again.

It was what she and the professor talk about, it is what Yuri wanted too.

They are at the lobby of their destination and just like earlier Yena is still on her phone. Chaewon side and drag the girl by her wrist. “We’re here!”

“And.” Yena snaped out of her bubble and look around.

The place is as white as the city, as white as their apartment, as seemingly sterile and devoid of life as everything else around. Yena is not sure if she wants to go, does she needs to go. She will meet Yuri, but does she want to. There is something in the back of her mind that does not want to go away.

“Just this time.” Chaewon said softly. “Let’s go see her.”

Yena’s brows furrowed but she did not protest instead she brings back her attention to her phone. Chaewon sighed but for now she let her be. They ride the elevator going a few floors down  and the girl with yellow scarf is still on her phone, messaging the person they are about to visit.

Chaewon is losing patience, she try distract herself by glancing the bouquet of flowers she is carrying. “We are almost there.” She muttered to the girl beside her who totally stop talking.

Yena just gave her a curious smile.

“Put the phone down.” The pink haired girl requested as they step out of the elevator.

“Do I need to.” Yena replied. Chaewon pinch the bridge of her nose.

They stop at a white door, its white just like everything else. This one has an orange stripe though with a name that makes Chaewon’s heart ache. Before she open it she glance back to the girl with her yellow scarf.

Chaewon took a deep breathe she had enough, she swiped the phone out Yena’s hand and put it into her pocket.

“What’s your problem!?” the older girl growled.

Chaewon just turn around and put her hand on to the door scanner. This annoyed Yena greatly, she tried to understand chaewon, but she just can’t tolerate her action anymore.  

“What the hell, Chae. First you drag me out then you’re doing this. What do you want!?” She grab the younger’s shoulder. 

“I want you wake up!” The pink haired girl spatted.

“What do you mean!?” Yena retorted.   

“You know what I mean!!!” Chaewon shouted back, “Yena. You know it. Don’t play this game with me. You know exactly what I mean.”

“Well Chae, I don’t. Why are you always against me messaging Yuri. You are always giving me this look that you disapprove of us. Huh! I just tolerate you because you are our friend. Why are you so against us!? Don’t say you like her too.” Yena yell, it contains all her anger and frustration.

Chaewon took a deep breathe look at the palm scanner and back to Yena. She lock her eyes to older girls, She look into it deeply trying to find her friend. “I don’t. ”

“Let me message her one more time.” Yena pleaded.

Chaewon look back to the door and the name in the orange stripe, she look back to her.

“No.” She said firmly.

“Why?” Yena ask exasperated, “Why!” She hollered till teardrops forming on her eyes, “I cant understand you, Yuri is.. Yuri is the most important person to me. She is everything, I just want to send something one more time, why. Let me call her, listen to her, let me listen to her voice.”

Chaewon frustratedly brush her hair, annoyed, she took a deep breathe.

“Your Yuri does not exist!”

“No she does!” Yena shouted back - holding her tears, behind those she knew what Chaewon said is true.

“Look Yena, she is an android, an AI -she is not real, she is fake!” She insisted, making sure each word are clear and understood.

“She does.. she exist” Yena whispered, tears rolling down her eyes.

“Your Yuri does not exist! Yena!” Chaewon lost her control and shouted again, “Face the truth.”

“You said we willl…” Yena whispered , desperation in her eyes.

“You know what I mean when I said that. Your yuri this yuri – she does not exist. ” Chaewon pointed to the phone number where a call from Yuri pops up. “You know what this is right?”  She added tears starting to roll down her cheeks to. “Let’s go , lets go – Let’s see Yuri.”

Yena want to debate that point, prove Chaewon wrong, tell her, convince her that Yuri – is very much real but she can’t, because it is the truth. Yuri is not here anymore , she is gone long time ago... and all here are simulation of her memory nothing more than bits of code mimicking the girl she loved.