Han Joo Yeon was very fond of flowers when she was alive. She loved them so much that she gave all of them names. Even the ones that were still buds and one of them was 春舞 Haruma. Haruma first came out as a bud when Joo Yeon was still 73 years old on the year 1990 during spring. Magnolia plants like Haruma who are well taken care of can live up till 80 years or even to 120 years.

She promised the plant every day that it was going to prosper longer than her. Joo Yeon once told her daughter that Haruma and Shohei could live up to see her grandchildren in their most fruitful years compared to her as she was becoming weaker as years go by.

After 3 years, Joo Yeon’s daughter bore a little girl named Ji Eun. Unlike her mother, Ji Eun talked to plants along with her grandmother. The Magnolia Grandiflora, Haruma grew to be a tree and blossomed long enough to last til' fall. Sometimes it even bloomed four times a year which was very unlikely but possible. 

One day, Haruma realized that it has not heard words ever again addressed to its branches nor flowers. Luckily, it was still watered and saw the sun when it needed to.  The mature female voice was gone along with the little voice that kept telling it to prosper longer.

Its new owners was perplexed to see that Haruma no longer bloomed til fall as said by the previous occupant of the house. It decided not to live that much anymore until one day it heard the older woman’s voice again.

The voice came from the sunlight above, it wasn’t as weak as it sounded the last time. She was hopeful and happy. She asked him to take care of the little voice.

How come if she’s gone too?  The tree wondered.

The golden bell (Forsythia) which was named Sylvia didn’t last as long as Haruma did. The tree thought that it has perished from the world along with the old woman. However, few years pass by again and Sylvia stood before the magnolia tree.

Sylvia did not change for she was still yellow. She had long strands of blonde hair and a pair of glorious blue eyes. Her as a human was also small too like the little voice.

“It’s not your time yet.” She told him but Haruma did not understand what she meant. Sylvia told the tree that a lovely childless couple has given her a new home in her new form. Like the magnolia, she has promised the gods above to take care of humans.

“Ji Eun and I will be waiting for you,” she promised.

A decade has passed but Haruma grew impatient. It already became an ugly dying tree and it was certain that it wouldn’t be long till’ it dies before it transforms to be human and search wherever the little one is.

Haruma didn’t understand Sylvia at all and how she became human in the first place. All it knew that the occurrence was the decision of the gods. The magnolia tree appealed to them every time the sun lit on its trunk but never got a response.

One night, Haruma swore it was its last night to ever exist when something extraordinary happened. It went to a space of nothingness and darkness but in a sudden, before it could accept its death, a light that had greater magnitude of power than the sun absorbed its soul.

For the first time, Haruma heard the gods himself.  It appeared not to be a tree anymore but it wasn't a human either. It was transparent and bodiless. 

“It failed to be human,” One of the gods announced. The bigger light with the bigger voice told the smaller god to try again.

Haruma disappeared before them and appeared in a lake. Have I become a waterlily?

It tried to get sense of what it is but once again he was just transparent and bodiless. It didn’t understand a thing but comprehended where it was. The deep cold lake was solemn and dark as night has already came.

Haruma was surprised when a heavy body dropped on the lake nearby. It tried to go deep inside the waters and inspected what caused the ruckus and the big splash. 

A girl of eighteen with long black hair descended deep to the waters. It had chains all over its body and wounds carved out on her skin.

Familiar girl

The bodiless creature could feel the girl’s life force passing out. It didn’t understand why it was there but it knew that it wasn’t the girl’s time yet.

What can I do when I am nothing?

It was convinced that it couldn’t do anything but it tried to appeal to the gods again.

Please, save this girl from death. It is far too early.

The light that consumed its soul earlier asked why the request should be approved when the girl has wasted her own existence. It pondered for a while and later it came up with a response.

“Humans I think are reactionary creatures like plants that respond depending on their environment which can not only be by their habitat alone but also with others among them. Maybe they didn’t take care of her much so this one thought it was invaluable of existence. I once thought of this but was blessed not to disappear completely.”

The great god approved the request and the girl woke up the other day on a hospital bed with a healthy pulse. The creature that was once a magnolia tree was satisfied with its choice.

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