. C H A P T E R   T H R E E .

“You’re… Chinese?” Chansung asks, slightly taken aback by the sound of her name.

“Half. My Father is.” She replies, walking closer to sit on the chair in the corner of the room.

“Cool.” Chansung nods, as if amused by the revelation. They sit there in silence, Fei examining the room for a moment. “So, what are you?” She starts, attempting to start a conversation.

“Me?”

“Oh I mean, what do you do?”

“Oh, that.” He nods, smiling. “Still a student. Though graduating real soon.”

“And… how soon is soon?”

“Just as soon as I figure something out for my final research. I’m in Psychology. We’re supposed to find something… interesting. And study on it.”

“Well have you found that ‘something’ yet?”

“Not quite. It’s kinda starting to bug me, actually.” Chansung shrugs off.

“Maybe you can do me.” She suggests, with a smile.

“Excuse me?” He asks in a serious tone, suddenly changing the atmosphere.

“Oh, n-not that.” Fei stammers, her smile fading into an awkward expression, obviously embarrassed from her choice of words. “I-I meant, y-you can study me… F-for your research.”

Chansung finds himself bursting into laughter. He realizes he’s never laughed like this for a long time. And it’s as if all the weight inside him had suddenly drifted away. But he knows it will only be for a moment.

He’d never felt light for any long minute in his whole life. There’s always that part of him, ready and always waiting to break as if anytime. A storm clouding above him, a tragedy waiting to happen. Or perhaps they have already happened, and they are the reason why he’d always felt so… empty. And never alive – incomplete, perhaps. It’s as if something is missing, a piece that’s supposed to make him understand himself. And this should be ironic in his part, because he studies human behavior.

Yet even he himself couldn’t understand his own demeanor.

They both stay like this for the rest of the night – laughing, eating, talking, at times awkwardly, but most of the time as if they’ve known each other for a long time. For the first time that day, Chansung felt like he was indeed celebrating his birthday. And it was only because he was with someone he could now call a friend.

o0o0o0o

After about an hour of baking, and about fifteen minutes of getting Sunmi to come with her, Sunye was now standing on their neighbor’s front porch, her sister tailing her. The door was wooden, and painted white.

She peers through the window just inches beside it, but sees nothing but a thick cream-colored curtain covering the view.

“Look at that. How can she even breathe?” Sunmi breaks in with a loud voice, and Sunye elbows her, hissing. “Will you shut up? I’m ringing the doorbell now.”

“What-ever you say.” Sunmi drawls, rolling her eyes as she brushes up the flowers in her hands. Sunye rings the doorbell, her other hand balancing the cake she’d baked.

No answer.

Sunye rings again, and Sunmi starts fidgeting. “Can we just go home now please? I’m scared.”

“One more whining and you’re grounded.” Sunye warns, losing her patience on the stubborn kid. Sunmi straightens her back as if daunted by her sister’s warning. “Fine, I’m zipping up.”

The thick cream colored curtain slightly opens, and a pair of dark grey eyes peers through it. It was a rather unexpected feeling. Sunye flinches at the sight of the woman, her blonde curly hair now showing through the window as well. Sunye immediately smiles, careful not to offend the woman.

“Hi!” She mouths with a wave, knowing that the woman wouldn’t be able to hear her through the glass window.

The woman disappears behind the curtain, and soon the door opens an inch or two wide. “What?” Her voice was low and rather reserved, as if she hadn’t spoken for a long time. She looks around, eyeing them suspiciously. “What do you need?”

“We.. Wanted to welcome you to our neighborhood!” Sunye’s face lights up with a smile. “I’m Sunye, and this is my sister, Sunmi.” She gestures towards Sunmi, who now stood stiffly, as if frightened. “We live across the street. I baked you a cake!”

Sunye’s light expression seems to amuse the woman. She looks at her with recognition, though still with crooked brows. “I said, what do you need?”

“N-nothing really... We just wanted to give you our house warming gift.”

She looks at the bright face in front of her again, now a bit more hesitantly. There’s something in her face, - perhaps the way it lit to a smile, or the way she looked at her in the eyes - that makes her take a second look at it. “Thank you.” She sighs. “But… I don’t really talk to strangers.. I’m-”

“Oh are we interrupting something? Sorry. We could come back next time. We’ll be across the street if you need us.” Sunye hesitates but bows to say goodbye. She knows she shouldn’t push too far. She can ruin everything with a little pressure. Letting the woman know they existed was enough – at least for today. She turns away, Sunmi still tailing her. They walk down the front porch, and onto the pathway surrounded with grass.

“Are those daisies?” The woman calls out, a little inaudibly. But Sunye hears this and turns around to confirm. “What?” She asks with a smile.

“Are those daisies? The flowers.” The woman points to the flowers in Sunmi’s hand, as if astonished by it.

Sunye’s face lights up again, now with a grin. She looks at the flowers and immediately approaches the door, closing the distance between her and the woman. “Y-yes. They’re from our garden.” She nods enthusiastically, and the woman opens the door wider, inch by inch, as if careful not to expose too much of what was inside her house.

Daisies. It’s been a long time since she last saw one. Months, maybe years. But the presence of it never fails to make her feel… secure. She never trusted anyone, she never wanted to. But now seeing someone give her daisies somehow brings back… memories. Happy ones. And just like that, she wants to trust these people. Whoever they are, she decides she should trust them.

She breaks into a smile. Perhaps the first ever since she arrived in this neighborhood two weeks ago. Her eyes glowing like they’ve never seen before, and Sunmi stands behind her sister in awe. She walks towards the woman, and reaches the flowers to her. “It’s for you.” Sunmi smiles, still hesitantly.

"Maybe she’s not too bad, after all." Sunmi says to herself. And she can’t help but notice how beautiful the woman is up close. Her dark grey eyes somehow illuminated by her blonde hair, her smile so genuinely perfect on her fragile face.

The woman smiles back, more genuinely than ever, accepting the flowers in her hands. “You can come in.” She nods, gesturing them to come over. Sunye and Sunmi hesitantly agree, prodding themselves into the unfamiliar world of the beautiful woman who loved daisies.

. A U T H O R  N O T E S .

Wow I'm updating fast, and advertising so shamelessly.  Sorry to those who I've bombarded their walls with advertisements, I just needed some more readers to keep myself inspired. I think I'm good now. The plot is running pretty well in my mind I'm so happy. Hope you're happy with this update! :)