“Come on, you slowpoke!”

“Yah!” Sooyoung shrieks as she attempts to catch up to him as fast as her anything but athletic long legs will allow. “Why are you in such a hurry, anyway?”

“It’s not my fault you’re so… slow.” Luhan teases, slowing down so she can finally match her strides with his.

The tall brunette huffs. “Who knew you could be such a gentleman after all?”

The man younger than her by two months ignores her sarcasm, unconsciously taking her hand in his much to her shock. “Look around, Soo. Isn’t it beautiful?”

“What…” She shakes her head, looking around their surroundings as they walk along the sidewalk. The breeze is cold but not harshly so. The flowers have bloomed to their most beautiful state. Everything looks perfect and calm. “Spring is my favourite season.”

“Then why are you named Summer?”

“Blame Jessica… and Heechul oppa.” Sooyoung rolls her eyes, absently reaching her hand to touch a gardenia they passed by. “She was so ‘inspired’ that time thanks to him and voila, I’m called Summer Choi.”

Luhan laughs; the fact that she is now walking a step ahead of him going unnoticed by both of them. “Summer suits you more than anyone else in this world.”

Sooyoung turns around, only to be met by the strikingly bright smile on Luhan’s face.

She starts to feel so warm and fuzzy inside.

In your smile that's like a spring day, the whole world gets brighter
It makes me dream again
On the day where the sun sparkles,
I hold your hand and walk in sync with your footsteps
When I sometimes walk ahead and suddenly look back
That face that looks at me is so eye-blinding

Sooyoung is back in the same sidewalk she and Luhan were on two weeks ago. There seems to be more flowers this time around and the place looks livelier than before.

But Sooyoung doesn’t notice.

Because Luhan’s not there

When I hear the sound of spring coming, I walk on the path with the bloomed flowers

It was normally the season that is far from being associated with rain… but the droplets pelting her umbrella continuously tells her otherwise.

                Sooyoung sighs as she walks slower than the usual, not wanting to trip and make a fool out of herself on the street. That will only worsen her already bad mood. It’s during somber days like this that her mind always fleets to that memory; of how the sun was bright, the wind was calm and the flowers were radiant when Luhan told her that he had to go away for a long time. She always remembers how he once told her than beyond the rains, one can always find a rainbow.

She’s having a hard time finding that… not when she doesn’t know when she’ll see him again.

When the rainy summer comes, I walk as I see the rainbow

Sooyoung still shivers despite the black trench coat and the matching gloves, scarf and boots that she is wearing. Her mind fleets to how Heechul earlier commented about her looking like she was mourning and in a very insignificant way – or so she claims – he is partly right. She is normally indifferent about winter but this time around, she can’t help but just loathe it. Not only is she freezing her off as she walks amongst the nameless faces, it reminds her of how cold and alone she feels inside. And it really isn’t the most pleasant feeling in the world.

She thinks of removing her gloves altogether to blow some warm air to her hands when she feels a hand hold one of hers. Startled, she looks to her side; her eyes widening as she sees Luhan walking beside her. He has a faint smile on his face as he stares straight ahead… as if he never left at the first place all those months ago.

That warm, cozy feeling is back in her and she squeezes his hand… just to let him know that she knows he there

And that he’s in huge trouble when they get to some place private.

When autumn passes and winter comes, with the warmth from our hands
We walk together - how great is your love

“It’s nice to see the stars again.”

“You mean it’s nice that it’s not raining anymore.”

Sooyoung rolls her eyes good naturedly. “Do you always have to be such a smartass?”

“It adds to my charm.” Luhan grins proudly as he turns his head to look at her. They are both lying on the grass, staring up at those that are how many light years away from them.

“Sometimes I wonder how many stars there really are.” The brunette pauses thoughtfully. “I mean, the sky’s limitless. Just how many stars are up there?”

“Infinity.” He answers in a tone that makes her want to look at him. She does, and she nearly gasps when she realizes how close their faces are. “Since you don’t know many stars the sky are out there, here’s something you can believe in. My love for you goes beyond the sky.”

He waits for no reply and closes the distance between their lips.

I always waited for a love that resembles the sky to be given to me
On the day where the stars twinkle, I walk to the melody of the birds

Winter

Spring

Summer

Fall

It’s a cycle that inevitably happens.

It is still the same old sunshine, the same old snow, the same old breeze, the same old flowers.

But they seem more beautiful to her now…

Now that she has Luhan to share all of them with.

Your seasons that go round and round, repeating like a secret
In that unchanging love, my eyes are blinded

                Sooyoung is surrounded by flowers again. It is a beautiful spring morning and she is greeted by roses, gardenias, tulips, daisies and she just can’t believe how absolutely beautiful they look. She begins to walk slowly and suddenly the flowers slip from her attention.

Because all she can see is that handsome man standing at the end of aisle, already crying as if he has been given the best gift life can give.

When I hear the sound of spring coming, I walk on the path with the bloomed flowers

It’s raining again.

Lightning flashes brightly across the vast expanse of the sky; the cue for the booming thunder that automatically follows it.

                Sooyoung remains curled up in bed, scowling spitefully at the window as the sharp lightning makes its presence felt once more. How something so terrifying can exist she’ll never understand and she groans inwardly when she realizes that she is going to be too scared to sleep. She flinches unconsciously as it thundered louder than it did earlier. Half considering running to the bathroom and hiding there until the bad weather ends, she jumps slightly as an arm wraps itself around her and pulls her closer to the warm chest of her husband.

“I love you, Soo.”

                Luhan’s eyes are closed but she knows he’s awake. His hold tightens around her as thunder rumbled once again in the outside their home. Sighing, she snuggles closer to him and tilts her head up to thank him; only to find that his lips are barely an inch away. Sooyoung grins, pressing her lips onto his as his free hand comes up to adoringly cup her face. Easily, he rolls them so that she was lying beneath him; a whispered I love you too not going unnoticed as he kisses her again.

She isn’t too scared anymore… but she is too distracted to sleep.

And she doesn’t mind.

When the rainy summer comes, I walk as I see the rainbow

                Luhan doesn’t really know why he’s shaking – if it’s because it’s heavily snowing outside or it’s because his wife is about to give birth anytime soon. Both. Probably both. It doesn’t help his condition or anyone’s for that matter that he has been pacing back and forth in front of the row of chairs in the waiting room in the hospital for the past how many minutes, obviously tense for his wife and child. He keeps reminding himself that Jessica is in there with but that does little to ease him up.

                Yoona and Lay have been by his side ever since they arrived, telling him to sit down but to no avail; ending up pacing back and forth as well to keep up with him. It doesn’t help that Kris and Kai are both hyperventilating somewhere near him as they join him in worrying for their best friend. Tao ‘s aegyo hasn’t worked for once with Kris and it is that rare moment that Kai looks nothing like the calm and collected picture that Taemin is by his side; the two normally called ‘twins’ by almost everyone. Heechul remains seated, clutching his head in his hands; obviously dizzy thanks to all the chaos around him.

                The door bursts open and everyone is on their feet, anxiously waiting for the doctor to approach them. Luhan opens his mouth once the doctor is near enough but no words come out of his mouth. He is worried. He is excited. He is anxious. He feels everything all at the same time.

Kris rolls his eyes and clears his throat. “I’m sorry, doctor. We forgot to teach him how to talk. How is Sooyoung?”

When the doctor tells everyone that Sooyoung has given birth to a chubbier than normal baby girl, Luhan promptly faints in Tao’s arms.

Heechul follows after.

When autumn passes and winter comes, with the warmth from our hands
We walk together - how great is your love

                Sooyoung smiles as her wrinkled hand flips the page of the photo album one after the other. It’s hard to believe how time flies by so fast. It seems like it was just yesterday when Luhan left, when he reunited with her, when he told her he loved her, when they got married, when she gave birth for the first time, when they squabbled about whether to give their children Chinese or Korean names (they eventually settled on English). They are old now; with children and grandchildren brightening up their days.

                Her eyes fall on the most recent picture of her four children. More of than not, she hears about how Stephanie looks a lot like her, how Kyle is Luhan’s mini me and how lucky they are to be blessed with their twins, Rose and Miles. As far as she is concerned, she and Luhan are beyond lucky.

                The sounds of light footsteps approaching tears her attention away from the picture and Luhan soon comes into view, smiling that ever radiant smile of his that she has loved all these years. He is just as wrinkled as she is; his age making him look tired and all… but she still sees that young, passionate man she has fallen in love with all those years ago.

They are growing old… and though the end is nearer than before, she still has him.

And he still has her.

You became a bright light to me, who was exhausted by the world
Even if winter comes at the end of this narrow road we walk together
If you would hold my hand, to me, this rough world will be like spring days
How great is your love
How great is your love