Yena felt the whole universe stop, though universe may not actually be moving in that sense. It’s something she barely understands at all. Back to it all that she remembers is that everything seems to stop or slow down or whatever her brain can interpret at that moment.

There are papers flying around with symbols she knows but can’t read well, instrument clattering, her tinted blue glasses being knock out of her face, the donuts – oh the donuts – her friend will surely kill her for having those donuts get thrown out of their box and into the pavement and that shock hamster like face of the person who bump into her.

Yena is sure she is screwed at that moment – the donuts should been a priority – yet the worried shock face of the person who bump into her made her forgot about those poor donuts and made her not see that them poor donuts get stepped over by passer by.

“Are you ok? I-im sorry. L-let me help you.”

Yena notices the other girl’s hand is trembling as she offers her help. She should be angry, Yena should be angry – funny she is not.  She just stared and watches the girl as she tried gathering the stuff that are strewn over the concrete, and tried to ask passerby to not step on the papers.

She’s tad bit slow in realizing that she could very well help retrieving the scattered things. She, well - awkwardly tried retrieving those pieces of paper and several other items.

“Music sheets?” She hummed more to herself, really. Too bad she seems to be thinking out loud that the person who bumps into her heard what she said.

“Y-yes.”

She might as well ask. “A musician?”

Pretty stupid question, considering the girl is carrying an instrument and folder of music sheets and some other item related to well music. Chances of her being a musician is damn high, maybe about two percent that she is not.

“Y-yes.”

The girl bowed to her and muttered an apology and tried to give her some change as payment to the now forgotten donuts. Any other day she will took it probably but she declined and she went on her way only noting the initial under the music sheet – J.Y.R

No sense to exchange name or number, that didn’t occurred to her, after all she is nothing but a guest in this city of mesmerizing blue glowing streak, golden trim and white pristine walls.  

There is no sense to do that but maybe she should have tried, because right now maybe about 6 hours from when she forgot about the ruined donuts. That same girl, the hamster like girl, is holding her wrist and they are running to a place she doesn’t even have a clue and running away from something she has no clue about either.

Should she ask her name at this moment? How? When she’s running out of breath? Today is one of the most bizarre days in Choi Yena’s life, it’s not because she is not use to running, in fact she is use to running and chasing people – with guns, lazers or whatever weapon she can muster. It’s bizarre for it being unexpected. She did not expect this city to be any weird at all aside from its love affair with white and blue and yet it’s as weird as her friend who will probably kill her for what happened to the donuts.

“H-hey.” Yena mustered to say but the other girl did not seem to hear her of if she did she was ignored.

They stop to what’s look like a quitter side of the city, looks like a park. Yena will admit that the park is aesthetic, it’s dimly lit. The floating pot of plants with glowing light with the white gold pot are neat, the pot seemingly dancing is mesmerizing and the path lit up with blue light surprisingly fit. Oh she is not even counting the warm voice singing in the small stage not far away – in a set up that looks like a rolling café.

“I-im sorry, sorry for suddenly dragging you here.” The girl muttered that brought her mind back to the ground.

At this point Yena is too mesmerized that she did not care to ask any question and decided to go along whatever, wherever the night brings her. Dumb? Yes. She will get a lecture that is more than just about wasting food.

They stand under those dancing floating pots of light and plants being the quite and awkward strangers that they are.

 Yena notice that the girl keeps looking around.

“If you feel unsafe I can accompany you tonight?” She offered her hand for the other to take.

Great Yena, great way to scare a stranger away – the other girl looks to her hand then to her face, her brows furrowed.

Yena scratches the back of her head and was about to drop her offer.

“Ok.” The girl replied.

“It’s ok?” She blurted in shock.

“Yes and oh I’m Jo Yuri.”  

“And I’m Choi Yena.”

“So uhm where are we going to go?”

“I honestly have no idea.”

Yena admitted with a healthy does of laughter, there is a reason her friend call her queen of bluffing because precisely that’s what she do. Bluff.

 “Then let’s just go around.” Yuri, the smaller girl, grab her arm and hold to her tight.

“Let’s hope we don’t run into those chasing you. “

The other girl awkwardly chuckle at her somewhat misplaced joke.

Their first trip is the nearest one. They went to the rolling café and watch the girl who is beautifully singing. In a glance, she kinda looks like the girl beside her except that her angelic voice is coupled with sharp eyes.

And at last I see the light
And it's like the fog has lifted
And at last I see the light
And it's like the sky is new
And it's warm and real and bright
And the world has somehow shifted
All at once everything looks different
Now that I see you

 

Well that song suits the atmosphere really.

“You’re not from here right?” Yuri asks.

Yena nodded while she sips a concoction of drink she finds delicious but has no idea what it really is.

“Then where are you from?”   

At which point Yena explained that she’s born in a space station and spent most of her life in space chasing criminal alongside her two friends in a spacecraft that is currently being repaired by one of them. That one is the one who kick her out for disturbing her work and the one who kill her for well, she suddenly remember the poor donuts.

Yuri chuckled at her rather seemingly exaggerated story – which is not exaggerated – Yena just tell it that way and then apologizing for the donuts saying that she will send her another box if she tell her in what part and which bay is their spaceship currently parked.

The talk switch to the merits of the said donut and its nature and how hard it is to get and why Yena is sure she’s going to get killed by her friend. And just like when she gets sad or thinking of something that is upsetting even if its funny she can’t help but pout and the other girl notice that and thinks she looks like a duck.

They continued their conversation as they went around several locations all by impulse of their foot. They got to this beautiful bridge and Yena could not help but notice the glimmer in the younger girls eyes – whose age she just know right now – everytime she tell her stories of their adventure. Though she needs to bear with the girl teasing and calling her a duck every time she pouts, she likes that though.

Somewhere along walking another park where its floating pink lights and flowers this time, Yena could not help but hold the other girl’s hand.

It seems they have a connection other than being strangers who decided to stroll around for the night.

While waiting for the night bus, Yena just about notices what the girl beside her is wearing. An off white elegant one piece dress with gold bands – the city really likes gold. She tried to observe while hoping she won’t get caught doing so.

Just how much she notices a lot of little details. How Yuri holds on the strap of her instrument bag which she assume contains a guitar, how she sometimes fiddle with the color of her dress, how she look around unsure. How sometimes fear permeates the younger girls eyes but how it glows whenever she tells story of her adventure or they talk about music, her eyelashes, her nose, and her lips.

Yena berated herself for thinking some not so decent thoughts, this person trusted her and she does not think there is any other reason other than having someone to accompany her while trying to hide away from those chasing her. About those people as much as she wanted to ask, she knew she would not see her again, in a few hours all of this is nothing but memory and she is here for a joyride.

Other than name, Yena has no inkling of trying to know about this girl she is riding the bus with and eating gummies with. She’s resign for this to be penciled in as a dream, a good dream that she will wake up tomorrow as if nothing happened.

Yena is once again has her head up in space, but she’s always in space so… uhm natural. She once again brought to the ground – when the girl beside her accidentally hit her with her instrument.

“Hey, I don’t know how much time I have left. They’ll probably be here soon. The only thing I want to do tonight is perform there.” Yuri pointed out on a stage. “Thank you for accompanying me here.”

It’s just at this point Yena notice the place they are in, there are many people, there is a lake, there is the floating pots of glowing plants but there also trees and there is a stage and there seem to be a contest going on.

“No..no..no. I’m the one who should be thankful that you accompany and toured me around the city.”

“Th-then I’ll go now, I’ll need to do some preparation. T-thank you and bye.” The younger bowed quickly turn around and run for the stage.

Yena don’t want the night to end yet. “I still have some time to spare, can I help you!”

She runs after her.

“Eh!!!”

“I said, can I help you? – with anything?. I don’t want to say good bye to you yet. I’m bored, this duck is bored. I don’t know where to go to – so please!” She shouted a somewhat exaggerated truth. In a span of a night this girl she barely knew about somehow tugs her heart and she don’t want her to slip out of her hand just yet. So she hopes that she can tag-along just a little longer.

“Can you play drums? Or sing?”

“Drums? I can a bit, I can rap oh… yeah sing too but I don’t know if that will be passable for a contest.”

“Then join me on the stage!”

“What!?”

“You ask!? So I’m saying you can join me on stage.”

They arrived at the back stage huffing at which Yuri quickly confirmed their registration. The younger pulled out of her bag a pair of drumsticks and instruct her to practice some drum beats and pattern. They have about less than an hour to practice till their turn.

She practice in a makeshift drum pad – not even a real drum but a simulation of it she pulled from her smart device, while Yuri played her guitar and sings. Yena keep making mistakes, the other girl voice is so beautiful that any semblance of Yena forgetting her will not happen. Music has away of attaching itself to memory.

For the umpteenth time she get something wrong the other girl pouted, “H-hey, I just … I keep getting distracted by your voice… it’s so beautiful.” She shyly admitted earning a hard playful slap to her shoulder.

“Your voice is beautiful too.” The younger ruffled her hair. “Last two?” She then asks.

Yena nodded – time runs fast and the dream will soon end. She might as well have fun for the last two practices they conducted.

Soon Yena found herself in front of a large audience. Yuri introduces them and tells the story how she bumps into her earlier this morning and how now they are performing together. Yena thinks half of those watching did not believe such ridiculous story, but they got a good laugh out of it and that made them both relax.

Thankfully Yena is atleast going to play on an actual drum pad and not some app from her device.

They look at each other and sang the song they practice; it was a happy sounding song about a meeting … and a goodbye.  

Yuri started playing her guitar and she started playing the beats on the drums.

I wished for a single ray of light
To come into my heart
I quietly raise my head
And close my eyes

My fluttering voice
As if I was waiting for someone
The thing that would open up my heart
(A dream-like story with you)
Our meeting that will be filled into a single page

Some parts which tell what happened today and what might happen next.

 Slowly, one by one you and I
Color the world brightly
This place we’re standing on is happiness
Let’s face one another
And look deep inside each other
Since you and I are together right now
Don’t be saddened by the end
That is waiting for us
Reminiscence of our memories
The moments we were together
Will keep you happy
I want to say a happy goodbye
Say good bye

Say good night
Say good bye

This is all but a dream and a memory. Say good bye, say good night. They bowed to the roaring audience, her Yellow black space suit shining along side the white dress of her companion.  

They walk along side the lake hand in hand– morning will come soon – both not wanting to say good bye yet.

“They’ll be here soon.” Yuri muttered.

“They…”

The other girl nodded and looks into the lake. She bowed and once again thanked her.

“I’m glad I met you.”

Yena tilted her head. “We’ll probably not gonna meet again.”

She stops walking while letting the other girl walk a few steps ahead. Yuri turns around when she notices Yena stop walking.  

“We might not meet again….” Yena repeated– for someone she just met, Yuri seems to affect her a lot.

“Yeah” Yuri took a deep breath and look into Yena’s eyes, ”A night is not enough to know someone, but I learned that a night is enough to change someone. Yena-ssi– that’s what you did – I wont forget about today. Thank you and …”

A white car arrives not that far away, carrying the royal emblem. Several people in white gold regal uniform step out. Yuri sighed at that moment Yena finally knew who this girl she was with the whole night. Yena can only smile, a pained one – she look up to the sky that is where she will be soon, and look back to the girl in front of her.

“Yuri-ah good night.” The sky is still dark, morning is probably a few hours from now but it’s the end of their day, they be hitting their bed soon. It might as well be a good night.

“Thank you and Goodbye Yena ssi.” Yuri muttered – she bowed one final time and wave to her before turning around to meet the people who all bowed to her.

“Good bye … Yuri... Your highness… Princess Yuri...”

  

•••♦♦♦•••

“I still can’t believe that you meet Princess Yuri.”

“I am not forcing you to believe me.”

“She told me that story before and I did not believe her until donuts with royal seal arrived in our bay.” Hyewon, her friend who almost killed her over donuts years ago told her girlfriend, Eunbi, who sits beside her.

“You almost killed me over those.” Yena rolled her eyes.

“Aren’t you happy? You’ll meet her again.”

“Well, I’m.”

“You’ll be getting your happy ending soon. So smile ducky. She will even join our crew.”

“Yeah.”

Yuri never really left her memory and soon they will meet again. Yena is hoping they could continue where they left.

She looks around the familiar bay where they dock their ship; it was just like years ago. blue, white and gold, she will see her soon.