“Sooyeon…”

She didn’t look up or turn around at all.

“Sooyeon…don’t do it.”

She felt satisfied as she heard a flap of wings and figure stand next to her. “You’re not who I want to see.” She said.

“But Sooyeon…”

“Go away.”

“Don’t do this.” The other took a step forward and reached out to her.

“Why not?” Sooyeon’s eyes turned a shade darker than usual.

“What happened to you? Y-you were o-okay when you revived…”

*flashback*

After being released from the hospital, Sooyeon thought that everything would be easy for her. She thought wrong.
Her parents didn’t leave her alone for one second. They kept an eye on her, they cleaned up her room and freed it from things that might urge her to do something stupid again. Her father wouldn’t even let her out of the house. Heck, her mother even helps her bathe. That’s how she was kept trapped the whole summer.

“Summer…” she muttered while staring out of her bedroom window. The season fits her name well. She remembers her smile that seems brighter than the sun. She’s like this bundle of positivity that keeps her mood up. But no matter how strong she is, she has weaknesses too.

When Summer held on to her at the waterfalls, she was proud of herself. For once, she felt that she’s in the upperhand- that she’s capable of being the strong one between her and the older girl.

She sighed as bent down to a small bowl on her desk. “You…” she poked the glass. “I miss you…”

Knock knock

The door swung open and her mom’s smiling face showed.

“Hey baby…”

“Hi mom…” She stood by the window in front of her daughter.

“I’m tending to the garden below…want to help me?”

An idea popped into Sooyeon’s head. “Umma…can I plant something?”

Sooyeon managed to grow a patch of wisteria in their garden from her little souvenir. Her mother was really astonished. She wondered where did her daughter get such flower…she haven’t seen any like it before plus, it’s not common in their place. She doesn’t know either how the said plant grew so fast in just a couple of weeks. She doesn’t know much about planting but she knew that crawling plants take a lot of effort to grow. It takes a lot of pruning and training for the plant to turn out well. Sooyeon just buried her flower petal, tended to it vigorously everyday and voila- the plant already crawled up on the frame that Sooyeon set up.

Mrs. Jung thinks that maybe this…thing is heaven sent because clearly it’s nowhere near normal. She’s not aware that she’s exactly right.

*end*

“I’m perfectly fine, Stephanie…” Sooyeon started rocking her body back and forth. The angel reached out to the other for the fear of her falling down the rooftop edge.

“If you take one more step…” She turned around and smirked at the other. “Our little game will be over.”

*flashback*

Sooyeon was pretty happy with herself because of what her planted wisteria has come to. She wasn’t even that surprised when one morning, when she opened her window and the sweet scent of Summer filled her nostrils.
“It’s as if she’s right here…” and she made up her mind to never close her windows again.
---
It’s been almost a month and a half since she’s been heaven. Good thing, she copes up real good that suicide hasn’t leaked into her mind again so far. Maybe it’s because of the wisteria…when she sees it, when she holds it…it’s like Summer’s there in the flesh with her, comforting her and encouraging her to continue on the path of life.

Later that night, Sooyeon had a glimpse of someone she wanted to see so badly- soft dark brown hair, high cheekbones and an adorable smile. She couldn’t be anyone else than Summer.

“Summer…” she called out but got no response.

“Summer…” she tried again. That tall girl was just walking through the gardens of heaven with a necklace in hand. She lifted her hand to tap the other on the shoulder but froze in mid-air. She gazed her arm in surprise. She was translucent- like a ghost- even the outlines of her body can’t be seen that well. She tried to touchthe taller one but her hand just went through. So Sooyeon just stood there, contentedly staring at the other’s face.

When Sooyeon woke up, she was ecstatic because she somehow found a way to go back to heaven without threatening her life. From then on, it became a casual thing and as time passes she became more real, more whole that Summer’s been reacting slightly to her light touches and brushes.

“It’s not going to take long until she’ll be noticing me again. Just wait for a while.” And when that day came, Summer’s reaction isn’t what Sooyeon wanted it to be.

“What are you doing here?” and Sooyeon felt like it was déjà vu.

“Don’t worry…I didn’t do anything stupid…” She smiled sweetly to the other and hugged her. “I missed you…”

The taller one reluctantly hugged back. “So I was right…you were the one calling me.”

“yup. I’ve been patient you know. I waited for this day.”

Summer removed Sooyeon’s arms off her shoulders. “B-but how is this po-”

“I don’t know what happened either. I just smell your scent around me as I sleep and ta-da! I always find myself here. It’s like a miracle has happened.”

Summer was happy but she can’t ignore this worry that’s building up her chest. Something is going to be terribly wrong.
---
A few days and weeks passed, and Summer noticed that the other’s been spending too much time with her.

“Don’t you have school?” the keeper asked.

“I still got a few days to spare.”

“You know you shouldn’t be hanging around here anymore.”


“And why not?” Sooyeon’s voice didn’t sound as sweet as the usual.

Summer gulped as she saw her face turn grim. “You have to focus on what’s going on down there especially now that you’re entering college.”

Sooyeon stood silent and gritted her teeth.

“You can’t get rid of me that easy.”
---
Summer was really worried so she sent Stephanie to do a little spying. While Sooyeon’s subconscious was in heaven with Summer, the angel dropped by the human’s house.

The scene she arrived to wasn’t pretty. She saw Mr. and Mrs. Jung knocking hard at their daughter’s bedroom door. Their faces are filled with tears and worry. Stephanie wondered what might be the problem. When she came inside the room, she gasped at the sight in front of her.

Sooyeon was spread on the bed, her body so pale that it looks like corpse. On the bedside table, she found pills- sleeping pills to be exact- next to bowls of unfinished kimchi and bulgogi.

Stephanie creased her forehead as she noticed purple flowers adorned on the bed’s headrest. She moved closer to it and picked up some. Summer’s not going to be happy about this.
---
“You’re taking sleeping pills just so you can go here??”

“I’m taking pills so that I can see you!” Sooyeon tried to reason out.

“This isn’t healthy Sooyeon. This must stop.”

“NO!” Sooyeon grasped the other’s dress and pulled her close. “I need to see and be with you all the time.”

“But you can’t continue on like this! This isn’t what I wanted you to do!”

“Summer, I can’t stay there anymore. There’s no reason for me to do so.”

Summer felt like crying, the younger girl’s close to her heart, she admits that. She wants to see and be with her too but it’s just impossible for them to be together. She’s a soul stuck with a job in heaven while the other’s a promising girl with a lot of accomplishments to do on Earth.

“But this has got to stop.” Summer knows a tactic that might convince the younger one to go back. “I..I think you got it wrong Sooyeon.”

“I got what wrong?”

“Y-you know I care for y-you…” Summer saw a smile form on the other’s lips. “B-but just as an unnie…”
Sooyeon froze. “You’re lying.”

“No I’m not.” Yes, I am. “I don’t feel the same towards you…” Because I love you more than you love me. “b-but I really care for you…” too much that I want to keep you always by my side. “Please…stop this.” She didn’t help her voice from cracking at the end of her short speech.

Sooyeon didn’t cry or anything. Her lips pursed into a thin line. “Then I’ll make you love me. You just made me more determined to stay here.”

“You are not staying here. I asked Stephanie to finish this.”

“What are you talking about?”

Back on Earth…

Stephanie slowly wrapped her hands around one vine and closed her eyes. “I’ve got to get rid this plant.” She whispered something and the plant lit up and turned into mist.

In heaven…

Sooyeon started to fade…it started from her feet up to her legs and to her waist. Before she disappears, she pulled the other in one last embrace. “This is still not the last time we’ll meet.” She kissed her on the cheek and the keeper closed her eyes because of the contact. “I love you…”

And when Summer opened her eyes again, the other’s gone.

*End*

“The wisteria’s scent intoxicated your mind.”

“That was Summer’s scent.”

“It drove you mad.”

“I just wanted to be with her.”

“But you know it’s impossible without having to hurt yourself. And Summer didn’t want you to.”

“It was possible…until you took the opportunity from me.” Sooyeon turned around to finally look into the angel’s eyes. “Do you want Summer for yourself?”

That stunned her. “h-huh?”

“You like her too, don’t you?”

Stephanie shook her head. “She’s a dear friend.”

Sooyeon scoffed. She didn't believe the angel. “Anyway…I want her here now.”

“She c-can’t…”

“Is that so? Then this game ends and I win.” She spread out her arms and let gravity do his work.

You need to show up. You have to save me.

Before her body reaches the ground, thin arms managed catch her.
---
A few days after…

“Wow! What miracle brought you here?” Hyomin raised her brow in surprise as she tapped the stool beside her, asking the other to seat down.

“My mom pushed me to.” Sooyeon looked around and scrunched her face. “I don’t know these people.”

“They’re our blockmates…” Hyomin handed her a drink. “And you seldom come to parties.”

“yeah…been stuck at the hospital…again.”

Hyomin knows to not push the subject. It’s best if she just shrug it off. Her phone rang and excused herself for a bit, leaving Sooyeon to herself.

“Hi...” A girl in white with long black curly hair and deep red lipstick took Hyomin’s seat.

“Hey…” Sooyeon said. She was pretty sure this one isn’t her blockmate…or her schoolmate…but her face seems familiar. “Do I know you?”

The other girl just giggled. “Maybe…hmmm…you seem lonely.”

Sooeyeon shrugged. “I just lost someone. I can’t remember who but she’s really precious to me.”

“She?”

“Y-yes…are you uncomfort-”

The girl quickly shook her head. “No, continue please. I’m just surprised you remembered her gender.”

“It’s one of the few things I remember about her.”

“What makes her so special?

“She…she’s my savior and my strength. She got me out of my depression and made me realize that life shouldn’t be something to be taken advantage of. I understood her, I was about to live normally again when the unexpected happened.”

“What was it?”

“I fell in love.” Sooyeon bit her lip before continuing. “I really don’t know how or why I fell for her. It just happened. I didn’t notice that I was incomplete until I met her. She’s like the missing piece of a puzzle called ‘Sooyeon’. She completed me…but then, I have to leave. I can’t stay with her for reasons that I’ll never accept, even after a hundred years.” She took a sip of her drink then shook her head. “One day, I snapped. Out of desperation- or obsession perhaps- I tried to make everything work out but sadly, it didn’t. It just made me lose her forever.” Sooyeon didn’t notice a tear roll down her cheek.

The other handed her a handkerchief. “Thanks…oh my god why am I being all emo on you?” she tried her best to laugh.

“That’s okay.”

“Wait, I haven’t gotten your-”

“Sooyeon?” A guy appeared behind her. She sniffed and fixed herself before she turned around. Her eyes went wide with who she saw.

“Jonghyun???”

“It’s really you!”

“Hey dino boy! I haven’t seen you since graduation.”

“Well, I got busy.” The guy scratched his head shyly.

“Busy having a makeover? You look really good.” She landed a light punch to the guys shoulder.

“You look great too.” He tried to sound convincing but Sooeyon knows he’s just being nice.

“Whatever. Wait, I’ll introduce you to…” She turned around and saw an empty seat. He asked the bartender. “Where’s the girl?”
“Oh…she left. But she wanted me to give you this.” He handed her a neatly folded pink paper.

Hi,
I’m Stephanie, Cupid’s assistant, and tonight…you’ll fall in love again.

Sooyeon thought it was some kind of joke but the music shifted to a slow one and as if on cue, Jonghyun tapped her shoulder.

“Uhm…shall we dance?”

As she looked into the other’s eyes…she thinks that Stephanie wasn’t lying. Maybe tonight she’ll fall in love again.
---
At one corner in the club…

“Are you sure about this?” Stephanie asked.

“Yes…”

“This is the second time you’ve sacrificed yourself for her.”

“I didn’t sacrifice myself.”

“Yes, you did. She was your happiness and your new lease on life.”

Summer just shrugged and held on to her necklace’s pendant.

“Don’t you regret it?” Stephanie asked again after a few seconds.

“No.”

“Why?”

A bittersweet smile showed on Summer’s face. “Because she’ll live.”