Pluie Mauve
Purple Rain

CHAPTER 5

 - Passé - 

"Caring was a thing with claws. It sank them in and didn't let go. Caring hurt more than a knife to the leg, more than a few broken ribs, more than anything that bled or broke and healed again. Caring didn't break you clean. It was a bone that didn't set, a cut that wouldn't close."

- V. E. Schwab

Lee Chaeyeon didn't need to hear an answer from Eunbi. It was apparent that she hit it right. The way that the girl tried to hide the pained expression on her face was pointless. Truth can always be seen through the eyes.

"It's rude for me to ask all of a sudden." She said in an instant, for an attempt to break the awkward atmosphere. "I believe you already know me but let me formally introduce myself. I'm Lee Chaeyeon, Sian's cousin..."

Eunbi didn't know how to respond but she just nodded as she accepted the handshake. The atmosphere was so tense and both of them were quiet until Chaeyeon finally started a conversation.

"You know... Lately, I've been dreaming about Sian. I don't know why but her memories were flashing in my mind. Maybe because of this day?"

The older girl was a bit surprised after she heard that since she has been experiencing the same thing. She smiled and stared at the speaker for a short while before finally speaking. "She has been always like that since before. A bit stubborn but she's also very clingy. Most of the times she just wanted attention..."

"That is her nature when we were kids. But Sian grew up through a life with a very strict routine. That's why that kind of Sian was something I am not used to see..." explained Chaeyeon. "You're very lucky, Eunbi..."

Eunbi was smiling as she reminisced the past. But she never noticed that tears are once again starting to well in the corner of her eyes. Chaeyeon was looking at her with so much intent and she could see that the girl still loves her cousin, even after so much time passed. They stood there for a moment, both speechless, until they noticed that raindrops have started to fall down...

There wasn't a shed anywhere and if they stayed there, they'd get soaked in the rain. Chaeyeon impulsively held Eunbi's hand and dragged her to run towards her car that she parked somewhere near. It was nearly two minutes before they've entered safely inside the vehicle. She got a tissue and immediately wiped down the drizzle which soaked her hair a bit. After that, she handed a pack of tissue to the other girl and she did the same.

"May I ask something?" Chaeyeon said which Eunbi replied to with a soft nod. "Why blue roses?"

It was a question pertaining to the basket of flowers Eunbi brought to Sian's grave. She smiled as she answered... "Sian had a small dream before. She wanted to see a real blue rose. It was then that we did a small research and tried making one since blue roses don't bloom naturally. She thought me how to do it. Up until now, I can't still remember how happy she looked after we turned a bunch of white roses to blue ones."

"Sian has been an interesting person even when we were kids. She was full of imagination and very cheerful. I always remember how much she likes to prank on my younger sister before. It was until the time she was sent to study abroad by her parents. After then, it has been years since we met again. She never had written a letter to me during that time and when I met her again, she has turned into a completely different person..." Chaeyeon paused for a bit and smiled as she saw the enthusiasm of Eunbi to hear her story. "It was her alter-ego. The prankster and crackhead Sian I used to know was replaced by a serious, diligent girl who never break rules. We never got to talk about what happened to her stay abroad. She refrains herself from small, casual talk and always spout stuff about business. I got a bit annoyed one time but you know, she always held a special place in my heart so I got used to her behaviour and act nonchalantly about it..."

Eunbi smiled as she reminisced her first meeting with Sian. "I think I know what kind of Sian you are talking about..."

"Speaking of which, when and how did you meet her? How'd you got to be very close with her?" Chaeyeon asked. She was extremely interested in hearing what she got to say. She knew how Sian treats even her friends coldly, much more if they were strangers... She must be really special, Chaeyeon thought.

Eunbi looked at the window as the memories of their first meeting flashed through her mind. The images were vivid as if it just happened yesterday...
 

It happened about five years ago...

Eunbi, at that time, got a part-time job as an assistant to a well-renowned events organizer. She has just moved to Seoul recently and had to get hired. Good for her that she was recommended by an old friend to her new boss. She has been working there for two weeks already and things were quite exciting as she has always been enthusiastic with learning lots of new stuff.

One day, she got a call from her boss asking her to immediately go to the office (even when it was her day-off from work). She quickly got dressed and headed towards the office which was a 20-minute travel from the apartment she was staying.

She arrived at the office and went straight to her superior's office. She knocked once and her superior opened the door, letting her in, that's when she saw a dignified presence of a person sitting in the black leather couch opposite the table.

"Miss Lee, let me introduce my assistant... She'll be assisting you in all the preparations along with our other staff." The boss said.

"I'm Kwon Eunbi. Nice to meet you." She said with a smile as she went for a handshake. The person she was talking to shook her hand lightly but maintained a stoic face as she said her name.

"Lee Sian."

It was starting to get awkward but then the boss spoke. "So, let's get into the details..."

It was a long talk about the preparation for the upcoming event for Sian's company to celebrate it's 25th anniversary in business. Eunbi listened carefully and took detailed notes about the customer's request. Sian spoke with a monotonous voice and blank face but she was speaking everything that was planned in detail that it made her think that the gi