The bus stops in front of me and I hopped in with other passengers who are having their own destinations. I used my card to pay my transportation fee and took the last seat at the back where no one dares to sit. Well, maybe because this part of this vehicle is hated by most of the people with motion sickness.

I brought out my sketchbook and a pencil from my art kit case and start to draw something on a blank page on it. Oh, I forgot my earphones and music is also a must!

I draw everywhere I go, and whenever I want. I can’t leave my hands doing nothing but an art. My hand seems to have its own life for knowing its own significance. It became a daily basis to me, like… life requires me to do it for me to survive.

The automated door almost close, yet a tall damsel wearing a school uniform, veiled with thick clothing, was panting for chasing the bus. No signs of perspiration because of the cold weather. Maybe a college student who’s being late for her early class. It’s just that, the only seat available for her to take is the seat beside me. So she headed at my direction and didn’t hesitate to take the place. But what I noticed about her is she walk as if she’s about to stumble.

Her eyes looks gloomy, but her face shouts with great innocence and serenity for having this exquisite guises. I don’t want to look like a freak, who keenly observes what she’s doing. But my periphery was betraying me. I saw her rubbing her eyes with her palm which slightly made me panicked. I don’t want to bother a stranger and I don’t really socialize.

The ride already started. I just continued sketching while listening to the music blasting from the earphones.

I sense that the brunette beside me starts moving and I did not intentionally want to look at her but she accidentally hit my arm which made my drawing a little bit hideous.

Oh no. Damn it, I didn’t brought my kneaded eraser with me.

I’m so infuriated. But I think, she did not purposely hit or have a contact with me. Because now, she’s sleeping. Ah yeah, she’s sleeping on my shoulder. , when will this long ride end? I guess I still have 30 minutes to wait until we, I mean, I arrive the university premises. I have no choice but to tear the page from the sketchbook, crumpled and threw it to the nearest trash bin without moving my left shoulder. If you consider it a talent for letting your left body parts firm, then I think I have the highest ability for sustaining it. I let out a sigh.

Are you that depressed to sleep on someone’s shoulder and don’t give a to whom you are sleeping on?

I must be lucky we’re on the back so no one see us having this MY awkward scenario.

There’s a book laying on her lap, all in the verge of falling on the surface. I immediately fix them by slowly tucking it into her hands. I felt an unknown feeling for having a contact with her, when my fingers brush her knees. It feels strange that her presence seems familiar.

I started to sketch once again. the lines and curves, darkening the parts that needed to have shadows. I elicited the exact scenario I am into right now, I don’t want to let this memory escape. It’s just a fast sketch so I can make another one and sketch her lovely face. The photographic memory I possess helps me to draw her easily in a short span of time.

20 minutes…

My destination is near.

She rubs her eyes vigorously and wandered her vision, soon that she realized she slept at my shoulder. Her face turned red.

“Oh my God. I—I’m sorry…Miss.” She apologized and went back to her gloomy and melancholic aura.

I shook my head. “Don’t mind it. I somewhat enjoye—wait what. I mean I--it’s okay.” I stuttered and get embarrassed with what I just voiced out. Where the hell did I just dig up that response?!

She smiled. For the first time! But something fall off from her books, a paper. I picked it up. But what I saw is something that I never expected to see.

I made me looked at her. The crystal clear memory is still in me.

“Y---Yuna…”

Yuju. You are Yuju. She’s totally bewildered and stared at me intently.

“You are the photographer and singer kid… Yuna, it’s me. Do you remember? That scene on the park which I drew ten years ago?” I recalled and went back to my seat. The bus stopped and it’s actually my destination. She looked at me, the gloom from her were replaced by a sudden bewildered eyes.

“Yewon… it’s you?” I look up straight on her and nodded.

“I’m sorry Yuju, I need to go.” I pick up my things but before I can even leave, she held my wrist.

“I’m going with you, don’t leave me here. Not again… please.” She said.

I’m hesitating. “But I have class--”

“We have the same school, you don’t have to worry. Let’s go.” Then she dragged me hastily. You’re grown up but you still didn’t change after ten years and you still love to drag me to where on earth you want, unnie…

“Wait hang on. Where are we going?”

“On the park.”

“But I said I have my class, I can’t miss one.” She stopped and loose her grip on my wrist and just chose to intertwine her fingers with mine.

“Please…Just ditch that class. For your childhood best friend, just now, please?” She begged. I can’t understand things right now, I bet all of my blood went up to my face right now.

“Right. O--okay then. You need to tell me why your eyes were swollen.” I smiled at her. We did not waste any time and walk to the park and take a bench that is being sheltered by trees.

I started the conversation like how others do when they met their long lost friend. “Unnie, how have you been?”

“Obviously I’m not fine. But you, how are you? Have you achieved your dream of becoming an artist?” She casually asked.

I didn’t answer her question but I let the thoughts come out from my mouth. I need my questions to be answered. “That day when you gave me the Polaroid and told me you want to be a photographer…and I stated I’ll be an artist too. Why didn’t you come back again on that same spot the next day? Do you know I’ve been waiting for you there until the sunset?” My voice was starting to tremble. I remember every flinch of memories, it still hurts. I smiled at her, but it keeps on haunting me.

“Umji! I have something for you! Here!” A cheerful voice welcomed me as I arrived the place where we use to play together. She handed me a Polaroid, a photo of me perfectly captured as a candid shot. It is a perfect silhouette of me, I’m mesmerized with it.

“Wow, Yuju-unnie. You’re really great! I’ll be taking this, okay? And wait! I’m also giving you something but you need to wait unnie.” I sat on the bench and opened my bag which always contains my crayons and pencils with a drawing book my dad used to give me.

“What are you doing?” She asked and rested her head on my shoulder like she always do whenever we are together.

“I’m gonna draw something. You can sleep for a while unnie, just be comfy there at your favorite spot.”

“Okay, okay Yewon-ah!” then she closed her eyes and lingered in her dreams. Before she doze up, she was singing.

“Just thinking about it

Makes me smile and space out

Feels like I’ve become an adult…

We are each other’s halves

That’s it

Because of my half that you took

The more we resemble each other

Maybe we’re becoming one in our hearts

Are we pulling each other?”

(One-half translation)

I don’t know. But her voice soothes me the most. Unnie is really good at singing, and I love that thing about her. Now she gently makes herself comfortable, leaning on my shoulder.

I started to draw the picture on my mind.

The place where we are.

The position of her leaning on my shoulder.

Including me who currently draw this scenario on the white surface of the sketchbook that is being kissed by the graphite to produce the lightest to dark shadows on it.

This place have a very comforting atmosphere and makes me even happier with sketching it. Yuju-unnie never became a burden on me even though she’s resting on my shoulder. As soon as I finished doing my craft, I slightly wiggled her to wake up. “Unnie, I’m done with it!” Then showed her what I’ve done proudly, while wearing a triumphant curve on my lips. She furrowed her eyebrows, while trying to cope up with the light from the natural source of heat.

When she finally settled herself, she looked at the drawing book of mine. “Wow! Is this mine? Oh and look! This really looks like us! You’re amazing! You really amazed me with this, Yewon! I love it--” a beep-beep from the car interrupted her for spilling her thoughts. I think it’s her mom’s car.

“Yuju we need to go! C’mon now.” Her mom shouted. She hugged me and tore the page of my drawing to keep it like I said so. “Yewon-ah. I promise, I’ll be a photographer and be an artist on future, okay?”

“Of course unnie! We’ll play tomorrow, okay?” I leered.

“Sure. I will go here after my class. I need to go my mom’s waiting, I l--love you Yewon-ah!” She stuttered and turned red, but she ran to the car speedily.

‘Is she sick?’

“I waited for you there, but the only thing I saw was another Polaroid with a message on it at the back.” My voice cracked and tears started on escaping, remembering those days of my depressing childhood which turned me to who I am today.

“Yewon…I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…” She apologized, she held my hand.

“I never came back on this place after that, I isolated myself from others. I hate it when something inflicted my longing for you.” Nothing’s more depressing than this. I never feel socializing after she left me. “You know you’re my first ever friend, Yuju.”

She leaned on my shoulder and started to talk, I didn’t refuse. But the tears just continued to flowing from my eyes. “Listen to me Yewon-ah. I never knew that would happen. But that time…was our flight to U.S. and how unfair they didn’t even told me we’re moving on that day. I should have spent my days with you more. I’m still a kid back then, that’s why I can’t do a thing to oppose the decision they have made. I asked mom to go back here in this place before our departure from Seoul and I left that Polaroid on the bench, knowing people rarely go here. Umji, I never wanted to leave my best friend and…” She paused and sit up straight. “Who would wanted to leave someone she liked?”

Her last sentence send shivers to me. Someone she what? Does she have someone she liked here before? I thought I’m her only friend here…That thought makes me crestfallen. I did not respond on her and let her continue uttering her thoughts.

“Umji.” She called me with my nickname.

“Hmm?” I hummed as a response for it.

“You didn’t get what I told you, right?”

“H—huh?”

“Why would I wanted to leave you? Why would I leave someone I liked the most? I’m still on the verge of confusion back then. But when we’re on U.S., I can’t stop thinking about you. I had too many admirers and suitors, but no one ever captured my attention. I only ended up whining and longing for your presence. I just hope I’m not but Umji-yah, but I really like you. Until now…I’m still into you.” She confessed.

“You’re just a kid before, and I’m already a teen when you’re asking me to play with you. But your smiles keep on motivating me to go here and still play even though I don’t like games. And…the reason why my eyes are swollen, it’s because I almost give up on looking and waiting for you.  When we came back here at Korea and started to pursue my promise that I’ll be a photographer, I kept on going back on the place where we used to establish the friendship we have, and where I started to build up my unwanted feelings for you.” Her eyes don’t have any sign of lies. Her eyes were screaming truthfulness and sincerity. My tears vanished, but I’m still bewildered and still don’t know how to respond. So that’s the reason of why she blushed so hard when she said I love you on the last day before she left.

“I’m sorry. But I don’t understand what affection is. What like and love is. I don’t know what those stuffs are, unnie. I---” she cut me.

“Then let me teach you how it goes. Just let me like you… let me love you.” Before I can even respond, she cupped my face and pulled me to press her lips on mine. She captured my lower lip. I’m not responding, but it caught me off guard. I didn’t close my eyes, while she’s sending her affection towards me. I dropped my materials for being startled. But then I realized, I can’t help myself for shutting my eyes and let my lips synchronize on what hers is doing. I felt her smile between our kisses, she even pulled me from my nape and deepen it like there’s no tomorrow waiting for us. As if we travelled through a time machine on that day when she left me. She’s kissing me passionately like a stubborn kid who doesn’t want to share her sweetest candies. Am I going back to childhood? Because all I can see is flashing colorful rainbows and unicorns. Vibrant adorable butterflies that tickles my soul and cotton candies that keeps on making me crave for it to last longer.

From that day, she taught me how to love, she lectured me through her lips how to like, and she guided me on how to show affection. I thought I was the artist. But I think she is. She drew my feelings that day and added color with a rainbow-like kiss, same moment as she captured my heart and keep it like the photograph which I kept from years ago. And that’s our new start, it’s just the sunrise of our story.