To Seohyun, summer would eternally be a time of childhood innocence and naivete, a perfect balance between hectic parties and calming days in the library. 
 

She remembered that she had experienced her first crush under the summer sun, at the age of four. It was a childish thing, where she gave chocolates to the popular boy in class. 
 

She remembered spending days as a five year old in the park, frolicking with the butterflies who danced about her, and the word summer always brought the lingering scent of sunshine and freshly picked blossoms. The sound of fireworks cascading down the velvety sky, the smell of burning wood in a hot campfire and the feeling of a cool breeze on those warm nights were all cherished memories. 

The library was a haven to the young Seohyun, as she had always loved to read since primary school. The melody of the turning of crisp pages and the fairytales that curled themselves into her mind helped her to temporarily forget her bitter reality.
 

The thousands of words that spilled from the pages created a shield around Seohyun, protecting her from the disappointment she faced. 
 

There was a quiet contentment to be found in that library, a little break from the heated excitement that summer induced. It had a silently nurturing environment, so calmingly predictable that it was the last place, or so she thought, that would ever hold a surprise.
 

But somehow, for some reason, amidst the heated chaos of all those sweltering summers, she met Kris. And he was the biggest surprise to her normal life. 
 

On an unusually cool day at the library, they had reached for the same book and in doing so, had inadvertently found each other. 
 

He was quiet, just like her, and had softly apologized, insisting that she read the book first. But they continued to sit side by side, next to the warm, glowing window. They exchanged book suggestions and talked about their dreams, their hopes for the future. He didn't laugh when she had told him of wanting to be a diplomat, instead smiling and stating, "You can for sure do it!"
 

There they met, everyday by the large window. The quiet afternoons were things that she looked forward to and Seohyun remembered reading her books at lightning speed, so she could hand them to Kris, even though he always finished them in half the time.
 

They found themselves among the old, worn pages, among the smell of written memories and their fingers traced the same characters, their minds taking in the same images created from delicately constructed sentences. 
 

She and Kris would go to the park sometimes after reading in the library for hours, running together on the lush grass underfoot. Naturally, as ten year olds, they held each other's hands and he guided her along the soft gravel path. She still remembered the way he clasped onto her little fingers as the sun beat down upon them.
 

They were both so young and so careless; he often forgot that she couldn't follow if he wasn't holding onto her hand. 
 

Seohyun smiled at the thought of Kris' carelessness. 
 

She remembered Kris tripping upon a stone on one of those trips, falling to the ground with a loud thud and twisting his ankle in the process. She had to carry him home on her back, and she had complained the whole way about how heavy he was. He had grabbed onto her tightly, only laughing at her childish complaining. He would still try to guide her along by nudging her shoulder gently in whichever direction.
 

Kris never did like to be helpless. 
 

They would search for shells together at the beach, filling pails and pails with the sounds of the ocean. She remembered the sound the wind made rushing past on the baked sand, as if the world was whispering its foreign secrets to her. Everytime he stood beside her, she would smell cologne, soccer balls, and grass. She loved that scent, breathed it in like it was the air she needed. 
 

There was one day, when they had been exploring seaside caves, and he had abruptly stopped talking. Her breath had hitched in when she felt his eyes linger upon her back, and she shot her hand out when he pulled away, untangling their fingers.
 

The inky darkness of the cave overwhelmed her; she didn't know what to do. It was as if she was swimming in murky waters when his hands left hers, and for the first time, Seohyun had felt like she was suffocating.
 

She had become dependent on him, just like she had towards everyone else. She had become a burden.
 

Later he had told her that he was only checking his shoelaces. But now she knew.
 

He was trying to teach her to walk alone.
 

Seohyun sniffed as she felt her cheeks dampening. This always happens. She didn't know how long she had been sitting in that spot. 
 

The thought of summer always brought to her waves of nostalgia, which threatened to drown her beneath all of the torrential memories. She sat alone in the library, beside the dimmed window.
 

The sun was setting as she traced over the words to her favorite book ,"The Little Prince." The scents of the book never changed, and it carried with it timeless memories of Kris. 
 

She looked at the seat beside her. Empty. The way it had been for years. 
 

Her weathered heart was used to this dull ache and her rapidly dimming eyes were losing their battle against the eternal darkness. Her heart just wasn't comfortable, a tender hole cutting deep into it. Her wrinkled hands were frozen, and she held them herself, clasping tightly onto her fingers. Kris. 
 

Summer was filled with dandelion wishes that had long ago been scattered to the wind.