A sudden sigh escaped his dry lips, it had been a while since he walked up those stairs. His big rough hand combed his bangs that were being a nuisance due to the wild wind as he reached the top, while the other was kept inside the pocket of his long light brown coat. His black button-up shirt was hugging his perfect figure making him look elegant with those pair of black suit pants. 

He parted his lips for a bit after realizing how nothing seemed to have changed. It was impossible to keep his eyes from wandering around, memories playing back and forth. 

“You are finally here.” A voice called him out, making the tall and built man look at the source of it. 

A small smile lingered on his lips. His eyes took in the new figure that looked brought down from heaven. How long has it been? It doesn’t feel like much but his eyes were playing tricks on him. He took a couple of steps until he reached the figure standing near the door frame. “Am I the first one to arrive?” He asked with a playful smile.

The other one beamed at him before taking a step forward. “Not really, the rest are already inside. We thought that you wouldn’t come but I’m glad you did.” 

He lowered his face in shame but a soft warm hand held his own, so comforting, that’s what he thought before another hand cupped his cheek making him look up in surprise. It didn’t take long before that surprise turned into happiness. “You look even more beautiful than before, Irene. You age like a fine wine.”  He said to the girl who was wearing a beautiful black dress that reached a little over her knee, a pair of soft crew socks, and some black dress shoes in this deathly cold. She looked spectacular with her wavy black hair past her shoulders that was parted to one side.

The woman laughed heartily. “You should wait and see the rest. I bet they will be like the most expensive champagne in your eyes.”

That made the guy laugh along with her. “Well, I can’t deny it. I have a soft spot for my girls but you are family to me as well.” A smile still adorned his handsome face, as where his eyes scanned Irene. “You were the only one that stayed.” There was a hint of sadness in his voice and the smile was gone.

“Not the only one.” Irene noticed how evasive his eyes were and she held his face in place urging him to look at her, which he did. 

Her kind eyes were telling him that it was okay, but he couldn’t accept it. “Why did you stay?”

“Because this is what I wanted, take care of what she left behind.” He knew what those words implied.

“Is it still alive?” 

She offered him a nod. “Yes, although, at first I thought it wasn’t going to survive. I guess me and plants don’t belong together in the same sentence.” She laughed once again. “But Seungwan helped me out, and ever since then she’s the one taking care of it.”

“Still going strong?” He was really glad to hear that.

“Stronger than ever.” There was immense happiness in her eyes, which drifted towards the sky while taking a deep breath. 

“Has she ever asked about her?” He was curious.

“Every now and then she does.” Her smile was gone but her eyes remained in place. “We told her she had to leave along with you due to some family matters and your return was still on hold.” He felt guilty. “She still asks about her but our only answer is that we just lost communication with the two of you. I guess you need to be prepared for her questions.” 

“So, you never told her the truth I guess.” His voice sounded so strained, almost to the point of breaking.

Irene took notice of his state and was taking her time finding the right words. “At some point, Sooyoung did want to tell her but her mom made us realize that some things are better off left unsaid. Even Seulgi found everything so hard to believe, so imagine Wendy if we tell  her that she will never come back because she…” Irene couldn’t finish her sentence. 

“...is gone.” Those words were like bullets back then but now, there was still some pain but not as bad as before. He had taken enough time to heal. 

“Yes…” Irene shook her head and put her smile on display again, taking a hold of his elbow. “Let’s go Kangin, everyone is waiting.” She caressed him with her thumb before taking the handsome man inside. 

He was marveled by how things looked different but in a good way. The shrine looked livelier, warmer than before. The old-looking wood was replaced by a new polished one. The smell of kimchi fried rice and bulgogi filled the air that also had some other floral scents in it. All the shoji paper in the walls and sliding doors had been modified as well, looking modern and traditional at the same time. 

He halted his steps while looking at a certain place. He was tall enough to take a glimpse of the sight. “Who…”

“It was Seungwan’s idea to build a small deck that led to the cherry blossom, connecting it to the kitchen and the library. During Summer, we let the doors open and the fresh breeze cools down the Shrine. She even changed the rocks that were scattered around the ground to pink ones. It was hard but she found a guy in Ulsan that sells them, although he didn’t have enough of them to fill the whole garden she placed bed flowers of different colors in the remaining empty spaces. You should go and see it, I’m pretty sure you’ll love it as well.” Irene gave him a push to encourage him but noticed his hesitation. “It’s okay, I’ll wait for you here.” She smiled and he finally agreed to it. 

With slow steps, he approached the entrance to the garden. The cold was getting more unbearable with each step he took until he felt his breath being taken away with the view. There were indeed three bridges that connected to the cherry blossom while diverse beds of flowers could be seen down below, like a colorful sea of hope. And those pink rocks, they were a little hard to visualize when the sun wasn’t on them but they were beautiful and smooth, like a combination between slime and bubble gum, round and glorious. He was amazed at the view and for a second he thought about how much Sooyeon would’ve loved the new setup. His intentions to keep moving forward were stopped by the sight of a familiar back with wavy long blonde hair flowing with the wind ever so gently. He knew very well who that person was and eagerness engulfed his heart, such excitement was short-lived as another stunning figure approached the lonely girl. He wanted to greet her but he knew that right now their talk could wait. He retreated and went back to Irene’s side. The latter was displaying evident surprise as she was waiting with her back leaning on the wall. 

“Why are you back so soon?” She detached herself from the wall and faced Kangin. “Was she still there?” She asked, thinking that maybe her presence had scared him off. The handsome man offered her a nod in response and lowered his face with a wide smile on his face. “You should talk to her.”

“I know but someone else got there first.” He smiled and sighed. “I think it’s time I greet everyone.” He was visibly nervous but took hold of Irene’s hand before heading to the kitchen. He could already hear all the fuss inside. 

The new presence reached the woman and thought about calling her out until an air pod could be seen poking out from her ear with faint music coming from it, deciding to call her attention by placing a hand on her forearm. 

The sudden touch made the blonde beauty alert until her eyes met those bright ones that were smiling at her. It didn’t take long before a pair of familiar arms embraced her with so much love and care that you could feel the longingness in it. The hug lasted for almost 4 minutes before the blonde girl detached herself to properly greet her best friend but kept both of their hands connected. She was appalled by how beautiful and mature she looked. She was staring at her up and down and couldn’t believe that her taste in fashion could change that much. For some reason, she visualized her still wearing those pink outfits but now, an alluring oxford blue jacket was placed instead of her usual pink sweaters, the jacket was eye-catching due to the way it revealed her luscious white shoulders and part of her neck and chest. A pair of oxford skinny jeans and black high heels made her look even taller and slimmer. She looked like a top model with that signature smile of hers but her hairstyle brought many memories back. Her long black straight hair that almost reached her lower back portrayed blonde highlights here and there, and she couldn’t help but be reminded of her. 

“Did you just arrive?” The model-like woman asked the blonde one. 

“A few minutes ago. I just needed to see if it was still here.” She was referring to the tree.  

The other woman knew what she meant. “It has grown a lot. Right, Tae?”

“Yes, it has. It amazes me how incredible it looks.” A wide smile graced her face and a cute little dimple on her chin appeared causing the other one to giggle.

 “It’s been a while since we last saw each other, 8 years to be exact. You left as soon as we graduated high school.” Taeyeon’s eyes were still looking at her somehow but for a second not a single spec of life was in them even when her smile was still there. 

“But 9 years have passed since she left.” It still felt unreal the time that went by without that girl in her life. 

“9...How come it doesn’t feel that long?” There it was, her husky voice she missed so much talking almost in a whisper. “It’s like time stopped the moment she was gone but at the same time it didn’t, the world kept on moving like all of this never happened like she never happened.”

“Tiffany…” Taeyeon whispered her name but the girl wasn’t listening. Her now dull eyes were resting on that cherry blossom

“Both of us know how hard it was to be able to move on if that’s what we should call it. I’m not going to lie, I cried until all my tears ran dry. There was so much pain in my heart that it felt like I was being ripped apart. But to understand and accept the fact that I wasn’t going to be able to see her again was the worst. I often thought that being without her was no better than being dead, and sometimes I wished with all my heart this pain would end.” Tae’s eyes showed concern for her friend, she was so into her own suffering that she ignored for years the pain others were in. But how could she help them when she was so broken inside? “Then guilt came into my mind like a storm and I realized that I wasn’t cherishing the gift Sooyeon had given me. She willingly gave up her existence and her life so we could be here breathing and alive, so betraying her like this was a no for me. That’s when my mindset changed and I decided that I was going to show her how thankful I was by achieving my dreams and being the best version of me I could be.” The glow in her eyes came back and so did her smile, making Taeyeon proud of her growth. “I won’t deny my mistakes but now I see everything in a new perspective. Being without her still hurts and I allow myself to cry her absence when I feel like I need to. I miss her Tae, so so much. I think you do have an idea of what I’m talking about.” A few tears were threatening to fall at any moment but her smile never faltered. 

Tae stared at her friend and mirrored her kind smile while her thumbs caressed her white and soft knuckles to comfort her.

“Of course I do.” There was no malice in her words, she was ready to let everything she had kept inside her chest finally out. “Not a day goes by without me missing her. I was so angry at myself for not being able to do anything to protect her that even breathing was sinful to me. You know Fany, I told her that I was willing to seal myself along with her so she wouldn’t be on her own anymore but in the end, she left without me.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a bit. “Moving on without her was pointless to me but staying here...” She looked around before looking at Tiffany once again. “Was unbearable. She was with us for such a short time yet took up almost my entire heart. I always thought of all the things we would show her, all the places we would visit when this was over but her plans didn’t match with mine. I cried and cried endless nights and days praying that someone or something would bring her back to me but my prayers were unheard, and yet I knew that it wasn’t their fault.” Taeyeon chewed on her lower lip. “I was aware of how hard it was for my parents to see me like this because nothing they could do or say was helping me heal, they had just come back so I didn’t want them to see me this way, that’s why I left as soon as I could. I needed to heal on my own and being here was stopping me from doing so, I guess I just wanted to be able to remember her without crumbling down, without seeing the hurtful stares of those around me.” Anyone could see that she was having a hard time putting all of her feelings into words. She was frowning a little bit making Tiffany lead the conversation once again.

“I don’t blame you, I wanted the same thing. A year after you left, I left as well. Actually, some of us did after we all received amazing scholarships overseas so we took the chance we were given. Only Sunny, Yuri, Yoona, and Seohyun stayed but moved to Seoul.”

That was news to Taeyeon, who looked at the girl in surprise.

“I moved to New York for College, always doing my best to enjoy everything in my life until my mind suddenly reminded me that time indeed went by.” Those words caught Taeyeon’s attention. “My memories with her began to fade away.” Her eyes never left her friend’s fragile figure that for some odd reason still showed composure. “I was frightened. We are the only ones who know that she once existed. If we forget about her then what is going to happen? I was so scared, Tae. I was losing my memories with her; the sound of her voice, the darkness in her eyes, the coldness of her skin.” She could tell how visibly shaken her friend was. “I went to see a neurologist as soon as I noticed but he told me it was normal. He said that we tend to forget things as time passes like how we can barely remember things from our childhood. It’s normal, that’s what he said, but how come the only thing I was forgetting was my time with her? I couldn’t accept that dumb explanation. So now I take vitamins of all sorts every day and do mental exercises just in case.” Tiffany chewed on her lower lip for a bit. “It has helped for a bit but my fear is always there. By healing and moving on I don’t want to forget.”

Taeyeon pressed their foreheads together. “It happened to me as well when I was studying in France. I thought I was losing my mind when her face started to become blurry. Somehow I felt relieved whenever it was nighttime because she would often appear in my dreams but she stopped doing it, I was even forgetting the sound of her voice. I made a friend there, she was so into spirits and energies so when I told her my predicament she said something that shocked me.” Tiffany was frowning in anticipation, not appalled by Taeyeon’s whereabouts since her parents had told all of them a few months after she was gone. “She said that perhaps this was God’s doing, her memories were haunting me but I was clinging on to them as hard as I could even when it was painful. I wanted to deny everything she said, to tell her that those memories were precious to me but I couldn’t as my heart knew that somehow all of what she had said was true. She told me that God knew I wasn’t happy and this was his way of helping me out. And it got me thinking, was I not really happy? Were her memories that harmful to me? What if this was indeed his way of helping me out? If I forget about her entirely then there would be no more pain, right?” Taeyeon detached herself once again and took a few steps back before reaching her hand out until the tip of her fingers grazed the rough trunk. “But I didn’t want to forget her, I loved her too much for that.” There it was, both of them never brought up the subject but it was already time, it couldn’t be delayed any longer. “I didn’t want my memories of her to be painful, I wanted to remember her and feel happy, warm, and in love. To cry tears of happiness if I got to reminisce about her antics. I worked on myself to accept that she wasn’t physically here anymore but she still lived in my heart and my mind, and that helped me out. When the pain left, her memories came back and I was so glad because I knew that as long as I held her dear in my heart she would never disappear.” Taeyeon suddenly smiled widely and looked up at the sky. 

“You still love her so much until this day, huh?” Tiffany was marveled and happy by how much Tae had grown in all aspects.

“I’m not the only one though.” There it was, her cheeky smile and her playful eyebrows that made Tiffany explode into a laughing fit. 

“OMG, seriously!” Tiffany was already blushing madly like a lovesick high schooler.

Tae opened her eyes feigning ignorance. “What? Did I say a lie or something?” 

The other smacked the shorter one lightly on the shoulder and her grandma laughed escaped her lips making Fany laugh even harder. 

“Granny!” Both of them still laughed until Tae decided to make the girl confess.

“But jokes aside, you still love her, don’t you?” Her eyes and her mischievous smile were making it hard for Tiffany to even answer her.

The beautiful woman regained her composure but her smile never faded. “I do, I think I love even more. Is that even possible?”

Tae’s eyes were set on the beautiful bed flowers under them. “It is. True love knows no time or distance.”

Tiffany was surprised by her answer. “If she was still here, knowing my feelings for her, would you have given up on her for my sake?” 

That question was unexpected but the answer was given right away. “You wish I did, Ms. Hwang!” Tiffany cracked up with her reaction. “The only way for me to give her up is if she fell in love with you or anyone else, AND if her feelings got reciprocated. If none of those are the case, then I’ll just show her how much I love her every single second of my life and I’ll hope for you to do the same. You know what they say, fair, and square.” Tiffany nodded her head in agreement. “And you?” That made the girl look up. “What would you do if she chose me instead of you?”

Tiffany wasn’t expecting her clever question. She took a deep breath and smiled sincerely. “I would take a step back. For me, her happiness is my priority and if I can't be hers but you can, then I’ll gladly step aside so you two can be happy. I’ll walk away to stay by her side as a friend, and know that I did my best to let her know that she was my everything.”

“Uff, so deep…But I’d do the same if I was in your place. Whoever wins her heart will be the luckiest one.” 

“Indeed.” Tiffany raised an eyebrow. “Hey, Ms. Kim. Any suitors? You look like you came to get all the fish out of the pond.

Tae jumped back in surprise. “Says the femme fatale herself!” She made an indignant gesture before laughing along with her comrade.”Well, quite a few to be honest. And you?”

“Quite a lot, I guess. I mean, I don’t blame them.” She was now showing off without remorse.  

“And you’re still single?” Taeyeon couldn’t believe her ears.

“I can’t be with anyone while I still love someone else, it wouldn’t be fair. Don’t you think so?” The shorter one nodded her head. “Besides, you know how I am. I want someone who can handle my clinginess, my sudden texts, my late-night calls, my shopping sprees that can take up to 5 hours, my gluttony, and my loud because I know how loud I can get.”

“And your jealous , don’t forget that.” 

“Yeah, and my jealo…Hey!” Both of them laughed again and Tae couldn’t help but admire those beautiful crescents once again.

It was hard for her to believe that this beauty was single looking like that. The deadliest heartbreaker looked like a precious Angel, bless the poor souls that fell for her.

“You should give yourself a chance when the right person comes. It might not  be Sooyeon but we have to be happy for her.”

Tiffany bit her fingertip delicately. “If the right one appears, I will.”

A short silence engulfed the atmosphere before Taeyeon continued their talk. “Sooo, you said that some of you left, where did the others go?” A change of pace wasn’t bad, right?

Tiffany puckered her lips like a little kid. “Hyoyeon went to China and became an amazing dancer, now she works as a dance teacher at Beijing Dance Academy. Sooyoung went to Japan and studied Arts. Right now she works in a prestigious Japanese entertainment company but was initially a model for many brands.” 

“Whaaaat!!! Are we really talking about Sooyoung? That goofball?” Tae’s eyes were almost falling off their sockets.

“I know right!? I was appalled at first but she surpassed our expectations. I thought she would be like a comedian or something but hell no! I’m so happy for her, she’s making it big over there.”

“I have to congratulate her as soon as I can! But how about the rest?”

“Well, Yuri, Yoona, Seohyun, and Sunny moved to Seoul. Yuri became a certified Chef and works as the head of a prestigious restaurant chain, Yoona became a model and actress just like Sooyoung and is quite famous, too. Seohyun works as a Science teacher, she got her doctorate 3 years ago, and Sunny is one of the most popular radio hosts in Seoul.”

“Woah! Seriously, I’m perplexed!”

“Yep, they followed their dreams on their own. It’s been years since we’ve come here, whenever we saw each other we chose anywhere else but here, I guess it was hard for them as well.” 

Taeyeon took a deep breath. “It was a toll on everyone.”

“It was. After Kangin left, Siwon, Donghae, and Leeteuk went back to their headquarters. They were still in touch and often visited where we were but I think only Siwon came here from time to time. And, well, our parents moved to Busan, they always wanted to live near the sea.” Taeyeon was about to say something but Tiffany beat her to it. “So, it’s the first time in years when all of us get to reunite here as a family once again. I’m glad you came. We missed you.” That girl was still the same even though some things did change. 

“I’m sorry I took so long.”

“It’s okay, Tae.” Tiffany’s hands were soft and comforting. “ We know you so well, that’s why we were certain that you would come back when you were ready, and you did.”

Tae closed her eyes and a gentle breeze combed her hair. 

“I’m back.”

“I’m glad Wendy’s and Irene’s wedding has brought us back all together once again. We all threw our work to the side just to be here for them.” She was really excited.

“Those two took so long to tie the knot.” The flower scent filled the air and it was so calming.

“I know! But they said that they were waiting for the perfect time.”

There was a faint symphony coming with the wind and the two of them closed their eyes to hear it. “I missed this, even in this cold weather I feel so warm.” Tae mumbled.

“Speaking of cold weather, I saw Zero running around with a cute scarf on him! He looks so cute! I thought he would grow a little more but he stayed the same. Where did you buy the scarf? I want one, too!” She was so excited that she made her friend open her eyes in surprise.

“Uh, I know someone who custom makes them. I will ask him if he ships worldwide.” She forgot how loud that girl could be but it felt so refreshing. “Wait! Do you have any pets now?”

The question made the other one smile even more. “Yeah! I’ve got two. Prince and Princess, they are sooo cute! You need to see them.”

“I wi-”

“Hurry up! I’m so damn hungry I could eat your freaking dogs Tiffany Hwang!”

“Jesus, Sooyoung! We are coming! Gosh! You freaking black hole, I saw you eating bulgogi before I left!”

“Shut up! Yoona is looking at this fluffy chocolate chip with hungry eyes! Hurry up!”

Taeyeon’s eyes open up in a terrifying expression. “Zero-ah!”

“Ugh, let’s go Tae! We better hurry up, last time Yoona was about to munch on Prince’s paw because she said it smelled like Cheetos.” Tiffany was almost dragging the poor girl who started running when she heard the Cheetos thing.

It’s hard to remember when was the last time all of them were like this, together and happy. Kangin’s presence was unexpected but full of joy. They all joined in a big warm hug full of love once the missing girls were in their view. The long-awaited meeting was taking place now and the timing couldn’t be more perfect. They sat down to start eating everything they could before those beggars could reach their side. It took Tae a while to take in how all those years had passed so well for each one of them but their crazy sides remained intact. Sunny was still short but she dressed up pretty y nowadays with her long chestnut hair and those luscious lips, and her signature contagious laugh. Yoona looked beautiful when she was not inhaling all the food at her reach, still laughing like an alligator with all that food on her hands although her long black hair with that floral dress in this cold weather was an eyecatcher. Sooyoung dressed up so elegantly that you could tell she was like a model or something but the way she was eating was truly a turn-off, even Hyoyeon, who was rocking her blonde hair with that short black dress that made anyone drool, looked at her in disgust. The poor maknae was the normal one in the pack, well, she always had been but their maknae was now a beautiful mature woman, she looked thinner and one could tell that she had finally lost all her baby fat ever so elegantly, and still using the minimum amount of makeup although she didn’t need it with how flawless she looked. Yuri looked so fine, she was wearing black shorts with a long white sleeve shirt and a beige belt, she was such a sight but her reactions to anything could match Siwon’s with how funny she was. Speaking of Siwon, he looked charming with that trimmed beard on him although he still made those funny faces. Leeteuk looked so elegant and classy with his short light brown hair parted to one side until he laughed like a maniac and his childish side took the spotlight. Donghae looked like a fine rum that had aged perfectly, his short blonde hair was eye-catching but the serenity on his eyes could calm down an entire storm in one second. Kangin, he looked as handsome as one man can be with his short dark brown hair parted to one side just like Leeteuk’s, a little bit of beard was visible if you stared for too long, his eyes had now that spark again that was gone the day she left, his blinding smile appeared from time to time, and she didn’t realize how much she had missed him. He was like a father to them, he didn’t have to but he took on the role. She didn’t want to dismiss what the other three had done for them but Kangin stole a special place in their hearts. After Sooyeon vanished that dreadful day he was never the same, no one was. Their parents couldn’t understand what was happening even after they had explained everything to them but became truly thankful for what she had done, she had given this world a second chance and it surely showed. The murder rate dropped drastically two days after that, there was less cyberbullying, suicide rate almost reached 5 people per day, charity became the biggest thing, it was truly a blessing. Of course, it wasn’t perfect but someone important for them said it, now they had to fight their inner demons. It can be a harsh battle, some win it and some lose it, but it’s something humanity will have to figure out by themselves.  

Donghae explained how the Fifth Order only focused on helping out the poor and feeding the homeless now, the three of them had to go all around the world as missionaries to help out secluded villages. They were happy doing that, excited every day to know what they would do next. It was such a nice dinner, stories here and there with laughs every 30 seconds, it was just as if time had never passed, and it all brought back memories. But this time it was different, those who were missing years ago were now sitting down laughing along with them, sharing their stories as well, they were complete but Tiffany couldn’t feel it that way, she was missing.

The dinner came to an end and it was such a surprise when they all got up just to see the night sky glowing up above. 

“Sometimes I wonder if they still watch over us.” Sunny spoke suddenly, making everyone glance at her. 

“They do, even if we can’t see them anymore I’m sure that Gadreel is doing his best up in heaven with Amitiel giving him unending lectures.” Answered Leeteuk. He could be wise when he wanted to.

“I’m certain that when our time comes they’ll be the first ones to receive us.” Mrs. Choi said, placing her hand on Sunny’s back. “Let’s go, it’s time to go to sleep.”

One by one, they went back to their respective rooms while the blue ones took the library as their sharing room. 

For some odd reason, Taeyeon found it hard to put herself to sleep so she decided to do something she hadn’t done in years. Her feet took her to that place, the cold winter breeze was making her cling onto her blanket even tighter. It was a surprise when she found someone already there, she was so into that moment that the other person didn’t feel her presence. 

“Couldn’t sleep either?” Her sweet voice could be heard through the loud winter breeze. 

“Oh, Tae!” Tiffany’s eye smile was a little visible thanks to the moonlight shining above them. “Yeah, I got tired of just rolling around the bed so I came here instead. I guess we both share the same brain cells.” Her smile was stunning, even that messy hair made her look more alluring.

Taeyeon was about to say something but her eyes drifted worriedly to her friend’s outfit. “Yah! Why are you only wearing that thin jacket? It’s freezing out here! You’ll get sick Fany-ah!” She began to take off her blanket but Tiffany’s gentle laugh made her stop.

“Is it? How come I can’t feel it?” The look in her eyes proved that she wasn’t lying, in fact, she wasn’t even shaking. “I think it’s quite comfortable. It reminds me of her, cold and comforting at the same time.” The woman then focused on the tree in front of her amazed at how beautiful its petals looked, some of them falling off due to the intense breeze while the rest remained stronger than ever. It fascinated her how almost all those petals never fell too far from the tree but a couple did, flying away to an uncertain place just like Sooyeon. She wanted to believe that Sooyeon wasn’t alone anymore, that wherever she was, Rahab was by her side. The tree lost its magic since then, it was just a normal cherry blossom but they knew otherwise, and that’s all that mattered. Some things disappeared along with Sooyeon but the most important ones stayed with them. 

“You still can get sick.” They were too immersed in their thoughts to realize another presence approaching them with slow steps. A pair of hands placed a warm thick coat on Tiffany’s shoulders before taking a step back. “But I know what you’re talking about, I often come here at night, and even though it might be cold to the point of my thumbs falling off I never feel it. It’s weird, huh?” A pair of puckered lips opened in surprise. “I’m sorry, I interrupted you two.

Taeyeon smiled with a knowing look before approaching the intruder. “You’ll never interrupt us, Wendy” She embraced the also tiny girl, she could feel in that hug how strong she was.

“Tae is right. I’m glad you decided to join us tonight.” Tiffany placed her hand on the girl’s lower back and placed her cheek on her shoulder. “Oh, Wendy! I see you go to the gym.” 

That pulled out a shy laugh from the girl. “Just a few days a week. Hyunie has a sweet tooth so I’m always baking things for her. She’s lucky she doesn’t gain any weight but I do so that’s why I have to burn all those calories.”

“You could choose not to bake any or just bake from time to time.” Said the girl with her cheek pressed onto the soft floral fabric. 

“I could but I love those moments I share with her, and the way she smiles whenever she eats what I cooked or baked for her. Her smile is worth those days at the gym, so I wouldn’t change that for anything.”

“Ooh, our cheesy Seungwan!” Tae pinched her sides playfully. “Let me take a look at you!” She detached herself from the younger girl and whistled as a compliment while her tiny hands held hers by the wrist. “You really threw your cute self out of the window! That brown long hair suits you perfectly.” And it did. She was often thought of as cute and fluffy before but now she portrayed more defined facial features. She was slimmer showing that S line that she kept hidden during her high school years, and her makeup was not too overboard but not too innocent either. “Irene must be on your neck whenever you two go outside.” 

A very embarrassed Seunghwan began caressing her nape. “Ah, well, she’s always sending daggers to those who she thinks are interested in me but I find it cute.”

Tiffany raised her head and stood next to Tae. “Well, she has always been like that but you never noticed it.” She crossed her arms before laughing so hard when Wendy’s eyes almost popped out. 

“We-Well, I was pretty blind back then.” Her eyes dropped to the floor and Tiffany became worried thinking that she might have brought up a delicate subject, thank Goodness that Taeyeon saved her .

The midget cleared . “I didn’t have the time to tell you before but it looks amazing.” Her eyes looked around the place. “Those bed flowers, this deck, the tree, I mean, everything seems like part of a fairytale.” 

Wendy nodded in acknowledgment. “You like it?” Her wide smile came back in an instant.

“Uh, more like we love it!” Tiffany’s voice was husky as hell as she tried her best not to raise her tone too much. “You put so much love into it.”

Wendy chewed on her lower lip without saying anything. She jumped off the deck and landed on the pink rocks below them. She could feel the coldness seeping through her slippers before squatting down. It surprised the other two when she freed a small beetle that was trapped between two rocks. How was she able to notice it?!

“To be honest, I didn’t think too much about this place at first.” Her eyes followed the tiny beetle that was inspecting its broken leg. “I mean, I saw it a couple of times when we came to visit you.” Her slim finger caressed a soft rock while her eyes never left the frail insect. “After all of you left, Joohyun stayed. I didn’t understand at that time why she was so drawn to this place. It took her two hours to drive herself to and from college. I kept on asking her to live with me in the apartment as it was close to her building but she refused each time. Then I offered many times to accompany her but she told me that I shouldn’t worry, that she wanted to have the Shrine ready on her own, so I respected what she wanted.” Her eyes then focused on them. “Something happened 9 years ago, didn’t it?” She asked but only received silence in return, her pleading eyes never left those sad ones. “I know it did, because ever since then all of you became walking corpses. I often found Joohyun crying on her own whenever you weren’t watching, just like all of you did when you think I wasn’t around. And then, you suddenly left.” Her eyes directed to Tae who looked down in shame. Wendy stood up and walked to where the tree was resting her back on its trunk, one side of her face was only visible due to her position. “One time I came here to surprise Joohyun for our anniversary but I found her crying desperately, she was kneeling on the rough soil pleading for the tree not to die. Its branches had no leaves left, it was drying out.” The revelation made both of them feel a lump in their throats. “I could feel the pain and sadness in her voice, she stayed that way for such a long time that I became worried her knees would bleed at some point. I was about to come out of my hiding spot until she called out a name.” Tiffany felt go dry when she felt Wendy’s eyes on them once again. 

“She was suffering and I couldn’t do anything because I didn’t know what was going on, and I wasn’t going to force her to tell me either. Instead, I left right away.” Her fingertips tapped the wood. “I came back a few hours later with a gardening toolset, fertilizers, and a huge book that was like a gardener’s encyclopedia. I arrived after she had gone to sleep and it broke my heart how she had left a mark on the soil where she had knelt for too long until both of her knees got printed on it.” Tae began to cry imagining how lonely Irene was. “She was never one to share her pain but I wanted to lift some weight off her shoulders. That night I didn’t sleep a blink, I studied the tree and noticed that some sort of plague was eating it up. I left before the sun rose and went straight to a landscaping company, where they told me how to treat it correctly. I was lucky enough because the tree still could be saved. Later that day, I arrived and found Irene inspecting it and she almost killed me when I appeared out of nowhere but it was her fault, she shouldn’t leave the door unlocked.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “I started helping her out with the tree and thankfully we made it. She was so happy that she cried when a few leaves appeared on its branches. After that, I visited the Shrine more often, and Joohyun wasn’t on her own anymore. Once we graduated we moved back here and that’s when I realized there was something special here that brought a lot of calmness to my heart. I guess I understood at that time why Irene was so adamant about leaving. This place has its own healing magic, a certain warmth that seeps through you even on the coldest days. You can stay here on your own for hours but you’ll never feel alone.

I noticed how going back and forth from work wasn’t a hassle either, we loved those trips where we could talk about anything and everything at the same time, and it just made me love her even more. I knew how special the Shrine was for her and it was becoming special to me as well, that’s why we decided to use all our savings to make the best out of this place.” 

“You did make the best out of it, it’s like it came out of a dream.” Taeyeon found it hard to say those words, her voice wasn’t cooperating as it should. 

“Because it did.” The blonde beauty frowned feeling a little lost, just as Tiffany. “One night I had a dream, there was this strange-looking valley ahead of me. It was dull and dark with a feeling of desolation. I approached it feeling a little curious and was suddenly left appalled. The once dark place began to light up with beautiful flower fields that went beyond my view, it was beautiful, each and one of them had its glow. With every step, those flowers danced happily around me as if they had been all on their own for a long time and were ecstatic with the new presence, like waiting patiently for someone to come until I arrived.  I remember before waking up that there was someone in the distance but I couldn’t make them out.” Tiffany clenched her jaw keeping herself from tearing up while Tae had already lost the game and was hiding her tears by lowering her face. “That dream was so vivid that I decided to do something similar here, maybe it was a sign, that’s what I told myself, and I’m glad I did.” She got silent for a few seconds before her sharp ears heard a sniff coming from one of her friends. “I still wonder why Joohyun called out her name all of a sudden.” 

“Sooyeon.”

She detached her back from the tree and faced the other two, she had this serious look on her face that was making it hard for Tiffany to keep eye contact. “To be honest, it hasn’t been the only strange dream I’ve had.” Both of them felt cold sweat drip down their foreheads. “A few years ago, I had a couple of weird dreams that I couldn’t explain but lately they’ve become more frequent. Those dreams feel like memories of moments I’ve forgotten. Like Joohyun’s death that night 9 years ago.”

Gasp! Taeyeon looked up in a haste forgetting her endless tears, only to find those deep eyes staring right at her soul, those eyes that were so kind and warm minutes ago, demanding an explanation. 

“I remember the pain, the smell of Joohyun’s blood, the sight of her empty chest. All of it came back to me.” This was the first time they saw the angelic Wendy looking like that. “I remember how even when having her by my side I felt like she wasn’t my Joohyun. I didn’t know why but she was different because she was someone or something else.” Those words were like daggers to them. “And then suddenly she was herself again. I could feel it, my heart knew it the moment I saw her but there was something wrong with her and with all of you. Yet, she was in my arms and that’s all I needed at that moment. A few days after, I came looking for Sooyeon to thank her for everything she did for me but was never around, so I asked to see Yunho instead and it was the same for him. Then Kangin left and was told she had gone with him, that I couldn’t do anything but wait for their return.” She massaged her forehead out of visible stress. “But she was never going to come back and you knew that, that’s why all of you left.”

Tiffany couldn’t keep her tears from falling endlessly, her strong facade crumbled down in a second. “I held onto the hope that she would come back, that this time I would be able to thank her as I should, to tell her that she could be herself around me because she didn’t have to hide anymore, that I could be part of her secret, too.” There was sadness in her voice and her eyes now showed how frailed she was. “ She saved me so many times from those demons and my own insecurities. I feigned ignorance as I knew that Joohyun always kept things from me for my sake but I think it’s time for me to know. She isn’t going to tell me anytime soon and with Kangin’s return, I knew that I can’t stay like this pretending I don’t know anything. I tried to make you spill everything out but you didn’t so I had no choice but to ask you directly. So, please tell me, where’s Sooyeon? What happened to her?” Her pleading voice made both of them cover their faces to hide their pain, they couldn’t tell her, not when she was almost at the edge of breaking down.

Seungwan was becoming desperate until a fourth voice gave her the answer. 

“She’s dead.” Kangin emerged from the darkness. Not hard to guess that they weren’t the only ones unable to sleep. A couple of tears shone brightly on his cheeks. 

Wendy just listened.

Kangin took a deep breath before hugging the two crying women to keep them safe in his warm embrace. “She sacrificed herself for all of us. Demons were ready to conquer the earth and she took down Hell along with her. Have you realized how there’s so much peace around the world? It has been like this for 9 years now.” His kind voice resonated in her head. “She brought Irene back to life and so did to their parents. She gave up her existence for us and once she was gone, Yunho left as well. All those Demons who were once Angels returned to Heaven. Irene didn’t want you to suffer as they did, that’s why she kept everything hidden from you. I hope you don’t hold any grudge against her or us.” 

It took almost 3 minutes before Wendy could answer. To their surprise, the girl was portraying a calm expression with sadness in her eyes but no sign of tears coming anytime soon making the three of them wonder why. She rested her back on the tree once again, closing her eyes while the freezing wind combed her hair in the night. “So that’s what happened...” Her calm and deep voice was gentle enough to get rid of any sort of guilt in them. “Somehow I was expecting something like that.”

“H-How?” Tiffany was like a little girl barely speaking through her tears. 

“All of you always looked as if someone had died. It wasn’t hard to decipher when those memories came back to me.” Wendy approached the three of them climbing the deck without a problem. It was until she was a few centimeters away that she broke into a sad smile. “I’m sorry for acting all stressed out, I just thought that if I looked calm you wouldn’t feel the need to tell me the truth, so that’s why. I’ll never be mad or hold a grudge, I understand and I’m sorry you had to go through all of this on your own. I know this was harder for the three of you as she was special to you in a different way from the rest of us.” Her eyes drifted to the two crying balls that were still in Kangin’s embrace. “What connection does this tree have with her?”

He pressed his tongue on his inner cheek before replying, making sure his voice wouldn’t break. “She created that tree when she was first summoned years and years ago. Actually, she created it before being sealed again.” Wendy had no hurry, she could tell that there was a little more even though he stopped for a bit. “She had someone special back then, someone that became her first friend and at some point, I do believe she was more than that for her. She created a cherry blossom that bloomed all year round. This became special to all of us for its magic, like a sign of hope. We thought this was a miracle from Heaven, a gift from God himself but we were a little far from the truth. Once Sooyeon’s existence vanished, so did its magic. That’s why Irene tried her best to keep it alive.” Kangin offered her a warm and thankful smile. “Thank you, Wendy. Bringing it back to life means so much to all of us. You make this place look incredible, like home once again. I know Sooyeon would be happy as well.”

“You know, I owe Sooyeon my happiness.”

The three of them raised their heads like puppies being called over which made Wendy suppress the laugh that was threatening to escape her lips with all the crying mess in front of her. “If it weren’t for her I wouldn’t be with Joohyun right now. I was always looking everywhere else that I almost missed home on the way. Joohyun was my home and Sooyeon made me see that. She was so patient with me even when I was in cons