"I can't believe you've fooled me twice!"

"Shut the up, you . You're nothing but garbage in this hole!"

"Excuse me?! Then what the do you call yourself, you womanizer?!"

Chaewon silently winced behind the door, eavesdropping on the quarrel of her parents. She didn't understand a word that they said, for she's just an innocent young girl at that time. All that she knew was that her parents were fighting, exchanging harsh words like it will do anything to ease the situation. Chaewon couldn't do anything but listen... and cry.

She could only cry in the shadows.

She left her house momentarily without a trace of hesitation, as her tears trailed down her cheeks freely. It kept on happening and she had enough of it, listening to her parents' pointless quarrel. She considered herself an outsider in her home like she didn't know her parents at all for they didn't cared about their daughter; like she didn't exist at all. Her mother was busy at her work all the time, leaving young Chaewon independent. She couldn't even feed her daughter properly, or at least tended to her when she's sick. She was focused more on her pointless job rather than her daughter. Her father never went home, and if he did, he would always reek that disgusting smell of alcohol. He would always arrive at their house drunk, enjoying his life more than her wife and her daughter. He never cared. She never cared. They never cared for Chaewon for they had their own worlds.

She continued to walk, telling herself that she'd go wherever her feet led her. The dim lights across the street were unsettling, flickering every now and then. They emitted a variety of neon colors yet they didn't look so vibrant at all. Cold walls basked in the dim lighting, illuminating the cracks and its harsh surface. The wind was cold, enough to desolate the streets that certain night. It seemed so silent apart from the muffled traffic on the distant city and the rusting of leaves.

Chaewon picked up her pace, dashing along the dark alleyways. Tears continued to stream down her cheeks endlessly and her heart pained even more. She had enough of that pointless argument or life in general. She doesn't want to feel pain anymore. Her walking came into a complete stop, standing beside the railing of a bridge. It was the perfect place that Chaewon asked for. Where she could jump and nobody would see her. Nobody cared after all. She was ready, for she was enduring that pain for a long time.

She hopped over the railing and tiptoed at the edge of the bridge. Her eyes looked down below her feet and the rushing river is what welcomed her tonight. The current was calm and it seemed cold like the wind that caressed her face; inviting her to jump. She stared at the lonely sky, a blank canvass apart from the crescent moon. She looked back down on her feet and took deep breaths.

Chaewon's eyes closed and tears remained at its corners, sparkling against the moonlight. Her body felt light as if she was coursing through the air like an angel. After all that pain, she felt all of her burdens being lifted away from her shoulders. Her heart felt soft, freed from all the pain that she endured the moment she was born. She let her body get carried by the pleasant wind and letting gravity do its job.

She fell from the bridge and the cold water of the river embraced her with open arms.

Everything felt light. Faint sounds reached her ears but she never cared. It was all coming back to her. Those endless words that her parents kept on spatting out. This time, it didn't sound harsh at all for it was muffled and unintelligible. Her body felt cold underneath and light seemed to cease from existing. Her body touched the riverbed, hard rocks striking against her fragile figure. The water became cloudy and earned a red color. Chaewon felt warm, and it was the kind of warmth that she has longed for. Darkness enveloped her vision and her heart beating slowed its pace.

That was it.

Chaewon put her hand up, reaching for the light before her heart stopped beating. She felt happy for the first time and she never felt regret in her decisions.

This is where it all ends...

Until someone grabbed her hand abruptly from the surface of the water. A cloudy figure presented itself yet Chaewon never knew who that person was.

"Sink or swim again,
I'll give you my hand."

****

chaewon's pov.

Peace and serenity. Those are the two things I specifically like. I've always wondered how I found amusement in silence along with the soothing sounds of nature. I stand here alone at the pier again, idly watching the ripples in the ocean water take form. The waters are brilliantly blue today along with the skies that I've always look up to. The sun is there amidst the blue canvass with white cloudy scattered all around evenly. The waves crash against the shore and the sound reached my ears. I close my eyes every time; the sound alone sounds soothing and pleasing.

"Chaewon-unnie!"

I hear my name get called and I already know that it was none other than her. Her distinguishable voice that sounds sweet like honey is already familiar to me; because I've practically memorized who she is. It's my favorite junior and when I mean by favorite, it's not like what most people think.

I turn my head over my shoulder, watching her run to me carrying two ice cream cones on her hand. I flash a smile at her but she seemed like she didn't notice it. Bullets of sweat are clearly shown on her forehead. She looks like she's melting from the hot sun, along with the ice cream in her gentle hands. I turn my whole body to face her and eventually, she stops running and pants heavily. I can't believe that she is always the one that gets me treats even though I'm older than her. What a bad senior I am.

"Minjoo-yah, you took quite some time," I remarked. Minjoo still looks tired after all that running amidst the hot weather today; couldn't answer my words after a while.

"I-I'm... I'm sorry," she apologizes, stammering in between her heavy breathing. She draws her hand out, giving me my ice cream that I've been waiting for. "Here's... your mint chocolate, unnie."

"Thank you, Joo-yah," I thank her, ruffling her hair in the process.

"Everything for y-you... unnie."

I laugh stupidly at her words. I know that she's been serious about her decision of taking care of me even though I'm older than her. I'm supposed to be the one that takes care of her for she's the one that's younger than me. But I find it amusing that our situation is quite the opposite. I turn my back against her, facing the ocean again; dangling my hands out over the railing like a crane. The cone rests perfectly on my grasp. Minjoo follows my motion, also leaning along the railings and joins me in my admiration for the open water. She stares at me as I watch the ocean waves crashing along the shoreline.

"Are you still curious about what lies underneath?" Minjoo asks. I swallow the lump in my throat and return my reply.

"Of course I am," I reply nonchalantly.

Minjoo scoffs at me, lowering her head in disappointment. She turns her head away from me and looks over the horizon. She draws one of her hands out while the other holds her vanilla ice cream. She points at a specific direction; seems like where the ocean floor is deep enough that I couldn't imagine. I don't want to because it scares me. A certain thought scares me.

"Are you sure that you'll eventually overcome it?" Minjoo asks, still sounding down from my reply. She seems hopeless.

"I'm sure."

Silence lingers between our conversation, apart from the soothing sounds of waves crashing along with the chirping of seagulls over the distance. I my ice cream and took a bite out of the cone before I continue my reply.

"I'm sure that I can because you're right beside me."

The corner of my peripherals caught Minjoo's sudden turn towards me. She looks dumbfounded by my reply. But moreover, I knew that she's flustered deep inside. Her dangling arm comes down on her side, and I did the same; intertwining mine onto hers eventually after. She jolts at my touch, and I know the reason why. I like her hands because it's soft and gentle. It seems delicate and fragile, as if a single cut or bruise can ruin its beauty. Her hands are perfect. She's perfect. And I want to hold her hands for a very long time.

Her hands were the first one that grabbed on mine that certain night.

I leisurely observe the ocean every single day for it piques my interest, though it triggers the fear inside of me. I didn't know why I did that in the first place when I was a kid. I thought to myself that I acted more mature at that time rather than the present, where I live a carefree life. I wanted to escape the shackles of life; that gave me excruciating pain that I cannot handle; that I cannot take anymore. I thought that way was easier but...

I'm thankful that Minjoo freed me. Liberated me. I'm still hopeful that I could overcome my fear of drowning.

I smile to myself and chuckling at the irony I've witnessed. I wanted to end my life with it but in the end, it haunted me. Hope still lingers in my thoughts for Minjoo is always right by my side.

"Until we reach the end,
There's never dry land."

****

The moon was alive and it's rays filtered through Minjoo's hospital window. She has been bedridden for almost 3 weeks because of just a... "mild" injury. Minjoo considered her own condition not so serious, keeping that smile even though it hurts deep. And Chaewon couldn't help but worry more about her. Minjoo sat on her bed, her back on the headrest while Chaewon was at her side. The latter heaved a sigh, frustrated that she, as the older one couldn't do a single thing for the younger girl. She would always think like that.

"I'm sorry Joo-yah. I'm a failure at being your senior."

"No, unnie," Minjoo retorted, denying Chaewon's apology.

The latter grabbed Minjoo's hand, idly sitting beside her. It was warm and Minjoo jolted at Chaewon's sudden touch. She averted her gaze away from Chaewon, hiding the flush that crept on her face. Minjoo became a bit more anxious and dripped bullets of sweat on her forehead. Her heart was beating so fast; like every individual heartbeat seemed audible in her ear. She swallowed the lump that formed in .

Chaewon heaved a sigh once more and Minjoo gazed back at her. She saw the older girl's gloomy eyes, thinking that she was disappointed in herself. Chaewon raised her eyes meeting with Minjoo's daze, giving the latter a timid smile. Minjoo couldn't help but be flustered even more. She never thought that it'd eventually happen. Those eyes full of care were shot at her and every time their stares met, Minjoo secretly melts. Her face was redder than before and she thought that it was bad for her heart.

Which it is.

Minjoo has a con heart disease, a condition she had the moment she was born. It brought her great pain and difficulties as a child that she wanted to vanish; fade away from the world. She didn't want to feel pain at all for she was tired of feeling it over and over again. But she never lost hope. She kept going, enduring the pain and built up a wall that she'd consider her own resistance. But Minjoo couldn't resist Chaewon being by her side.

She thought that she made a great mistake when she saved Chaewon from drowning. And it was the greatest mistake that she ever did. But she still considered it as a blessing.

Minjoo shook her head, clearing the thoughts that circled inside her head. She doesn't want this side of her to be seen by the older girl. The corner of her eyes caught the stars evenly studded across the sky. Some shined brighter than the others and she couldn't help herself but to be amused when they twinkle. The crescent moon radiated rich moonlight, flooding the room with a midnight hue.

Her ears caught Chaewon's sigh of relief. She averted her gaze towards the older girl with a curve on her lips. Minjoo jolted again for that smile sent her heart beating faster. A smile that outshined the moon tonight.

"The night is pretty," Chaewon remarked.

"Y-yeah."

Silence lingered in the room apart from the crickets that chirped outside of Minjoo's window. The cold breeze carried the lifeless curtains, setting them aside as more of the moon's rays invaded her room. It became quite brighter than last time and Minjoo covered her eyes with the sleeve of her hospital robe.

"You know, life can be a stream of water," Chaewon suddenly blurted out.

Minjoo turned her head towards Chaewon with a dumbfounded look planted on her face.

"What?"

"We're like a paper boat that somehow got into a stream of water. Like a river for example. That stream keeps on carrying us with its harsh environment to unknown destinations. Every single one of us has gotten into unique streams of water... because we have different lives. But after all, we'll meet somehow."

Minjoo arched a brow towards Chaewon. "What do you mean?"

Chaewon giggled at Minjoo's confused demeanor before continuing. "You know, multiple streams of water lead to only one location. And that's the ocean. It's where all of the streams end up, I believe."

Silence lingered save for the audible calm breathing of Minjoo. She felt relaxed all of a sudden when Chaewon suddenly made up a metaphor. Her nervousness was gone like it didn't exist in the first place. She felt serenity in Chaewon's words.

"That's where I met you."

Minjoo's eyes lit up and a flush crept from her neck back to her cheeks, eventually reaching her ears. She thought Chaewon's words held a meaning, which it did. Her heart began to beat faster again, feeling of uneasiness wrapped around her body. She kept thinking that those words almost resemble an "I love you" from Chaewon. She tried forgetting it on the spot but it always crossed her mind, not wanting to be forgotten because it held a lot of meaning; and something else.

"Chaewon-unnie," That was all Minjoo had to say for she was stunned by her words.

Chaewon playfully giggled once more, sounding a bit sarcastic.

"You know that I'm aquaphobic yet here I am making metaphors about the ocean," Chaewon remarked; her eyes formed crescents as she continued to laugh at herself. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, defined by joy but overwritten by pain. She started crying and it pained Minjoo to see the older girl cry.

"U-unnie, what's wrong?" Minjoo asked, worry was evident in her tone.

Chaewon wiped the tears off her cheeks and gave a warm smile to Minjoo, hiding that hurt side of hers.

"You know, we're completely different paper boats that embarked on a harsh stream of water. We just had to deal with life's cruelty for w