Note: Jello be on rage whilst I gave her presents. Hilarity to the max XD

 

 

 

 

 

No Title yet

 

 

 

Today will be the ninth one. Today will be the ninth Christmas that we will spend together. We’ve known each other for twelve years in total and each one of them have been the best years of my life. Of course, there would be many more years to come. At least I hope so.

I looked up to the dark night sky. It was just barely six-thirty and yet the sun has already set. I guess it’s one of the side effects of winter. It’s not like I don’t like the night. In fact, I actually prefer the night. With the sun’s heat no longer present, I can fully appreciate the snow that was starting to fall slowly from the dark blue sky.

Each snowflake has their own unique shape, just as every human being has their own unique finger print. Of course, a snowflake is different to human. They do not set out to find their other half. As humans, our life mission is to find out other half. Humans are not perfect, but we can bend the truth and make it seem like humans are perfect. Once we find that one perfect being for ourselves, hopefully they will see you as perfect in their own eyes as well.

I have already found my perfect being, but I still need to prove myself to them. So far, I see her as perfect but I am far from perfect for her. I gave a long and heavy sigh. My life mission was just made so much harder the moment I had found my other half. For one main reason being that she was a girl; the same gender as I am. With society’s view on these types of attractions, it is hard to accomplish my life’s mission without being judged or criticized.

“Excuse me miss, are you perhaps lost?” a small gentle voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked down from the snow falling above me to see an elderly woman looking at me with a questioning gaze. I just smiled politely to her and shook my head. She returned my smile and nodded slowly.

“It’s Christmas after all. No one should be grieving on such an occasion,” she continued as she reached into her bag. I gave her a questioning gaze as she pulled out a small box.

“Here, take this, it’s a small Christmas gift. From the way you are dressed, I assume you are meeting someone important to you?” she asked me as she placed the small box into my palm. I shook my head furiously and was about to give the present back to her when she stopped my hands with her own.

“I was once young as well. With age comes experience. Just take the gift. It is Christmas after all. It’s just something I thought was cute but I am long past that age,” she laughed quietly. I couldn’t help but smile at the lady before me. She seemed to be emitting a lustrous glow of kindness and happiness. Truly she held the spirit of the Christmas season.

“Thank you. As a gift in return I have this,” I said quickly as I reached into my own pocket. I pulled out a moderate sized box which held different chocolate goodies inside. It was something that I was hoping to give to a small child, but I figured it would be suitable to give it to this lady. She was surprised at the box but graciously took the box and gave a hearty laugh.

“Young people these days. They are so unpredictable. Well then, I should be heading off. My family are preparing a party. I’m sure the children will appreciate these treats very much. Merry Christmas child,” the woman bid farewell before walking off again down the street. It was refreshing to have such a pleasant encounter. It’s moments like these that make me grateful that I am a human. I gave a long and slow sigh as I checked the time. It was time I started heading towards her if I want to make it there in time. Of course there was still around two hours left before our arranged meeting time, but I wanted to take a detour before I reached there.

I reached into my other pocket and pulled out a small strip of photos. I looked at the first photo and instantly smiled upon seeing two dorky grins plastered on the photo. It was the first Christmas I spent with her. It was when we were both young and innocent nine year olds. Our parents had accompanied us as we mucked around the city looking for entertainment. In the background of the picture I could see a playground. That would be my first destination.

 

Nine years ago

“Hey Tiffany! Look! No hands!” a young nine year old girl yelled out to her friend as she swung on the swings with no hands. Her friend, who was playing in the sandpit, looked up from her small castle to see the other girl swinging with her arms outstretched.

“Yah! Taeyeon! That’s not safe!” The girl immediately stood up and pointed accusingly to the mischievous daredevil. Startled by the sudden outburst from her friend, the girl on the swing started to lose her balance and slowly tipped backwards. Tiffany, the girl in the sandpit, turned her head away and winced when she heard the thud against the sand followed by a groan of pain. Tiffany then turned her head up to see her friend, Taeyeon, lying flat on her back in the sand.

Worried for her friend, Tiffany immediately ran over to Taeyeon and searched for any injuries. The parents who were supervising on the side quickly rushed to the girls to make sure their children were safe.

Once Tiffany reached Taeyeon, she saw that the girl had a wide grin plastered on her face. Tiffany furrowed her eyebrows and held three fingers up in front of the older girl’s face.

“How many fingers?” Tiffany asked seriously. Taeyeon stared at the fingers in front of her and jutted out her lower lip in concentration.

“Eight,” Taeyeon pronounced confidently. Tiffany immediately lowered her hand and helped the girl sit up. She checked the back of her head to see if there were any serious injuries and was relieved when she saw no blood or cuts.

“Taeyeon, you need to go to the doctor to fix your counting,” Tiffany huffed as she helped Taeyeon stand up. Taeyeon’s parents helped the younger girl up but were rather confused when their daughter started laughing. They started to get rather worried for the girl reached for their phones to call the ambulance.

“I’m fine. Tiffany held up this many fingers,” Taeyeon said in between her chuckles as she held up three fingers. The two parents remained still but were rather hesitant with their daughter’s condition.

“Taeyeon, does it hurt anywhere? Are you okay?” Taeyeon’s father asked. Taeyeon just nodded with a bright smile and held up both her thumbs. Taeyeon stood up and shook the sand out of her clothes and walked to the side where there was grass to empty out the truckload of sand in her shoes. Tiffany crossed her arms and gave an annoyed huff at Taeyeon. She was not pleased that Taeyeon had just made her worry so, and as a payback, she marched up to Taeyeon and knocked her harshly on the forehead. Not realising that Taeyeon was only on one foot as she was emptying her shoe, as soon as Tiffany’s knuckle made contact with Taeyeon’s forehead, the poor girl ended up tipping over backwards and falling flat against her backside.

“Hey! What was that for?!” Taeyeon retaliated as she rubbed her sore tailbone. Tiffany just stuck her tongue out at Taeyeon and turned back around to finish off her castle. Taeyeon just laughed gleefully before skipping over to Tiffany’s castle. She poked her finger straight into the middle of the structure and smiled cheekily at the hole she had made. Tiffany lightly pushed Taeyeon over for destroying her castle.

“That’s my castle!” Tiffany yelled. Taeyeon rolled to the side and just stuck her tongue out before poking another hole into the castle. Tiffany this time aimed to kick Taeyeon’s leg but the older girl quickly dodged. She then took off with an annoyed Tiffany chasing after her.

After running a short distance, Taeyeon looked down to notice her shoe laces were undone. She turned back to see Tiffany was close behind and decided to run without retying them. Making a sharp turn, Taeyeon accidently stepped on one of her laces and skid across the grass floor on her stomach. Tiffany lost all her anger and was filled with worry as she ran up to the girl flat on her stomach in front of her.

“Now that hurt,” Taeyeon groaned as she pushed herself up off the floor. Tiffany noticed a gash in Taeyeon’s arm and frowned.

“You’re so careless Tae,” Tiffany huffed as she reached into her pocket to pull out a small band aid. Taeyeon just rustled the back of her head sheepishly and took Tiffany’s band aid to put in her pocket.

“Band aids are for sissies,” Taeyeon just bluntly before standing up and running off to the slide.

 

 

“Such a tom boy,” I chuckled as I reached the swing which she had fallen off of. In my years I’ve known her, she was not your average girl. She would play in the dirt with cars and robots and perform dangerous stunts with every chance she had. There was never a dull moment when she was outside. It was one of those things that attracted me. Her courageous attitude was one to be admired. She was not scared of being injured but rather was scared of others being injured. Add that with her naturally dorky personality and you one of that many sides to Kim Taeyeon.

This play ground held so many memories of that year for me. It was the first time I had actually spent Christmas with any of my friends. Naturally, I was excited as I ever could be. Now that I look back on that day, I should be even more grateful that it was that dork I spent that Christmas with. Christmas was never dull with Kim Taeyeon around. Parents had to constantly be on the lookout and I had to be constantly looking over my shoulder.

I reached into my pocket again to pull out the strip of photos. The second photo had a fountain behind it. That was my second destination; to the city’s centre where a fountain is held. As I was walking, I couldn’t help but spot a small sand castle in the sand pit. I walked over to the small structure and bent down to inspect it. It had tunnels carefully dug into it with markings of bricks and leaves as decoration. It was exactly like how she would build her castles before jumping straight onto it.

Tracing my finger against the lines drawn into it, I noticed a small object catch my eye. An unopened band aid was lying next to the castle. As I picked it up, I noticed that it was oddly familiar to the many that I still have at home. It was a Totoro band aid that I had boxes of stored in her cupboard. I guess I wasn’t the only child who was obsessed with that huge rabbit after all.

I just gave off another low chuckle as I proceeded to the next destination, the wishing fountain which was the setting of our second Christmas together.

 

Eight years ago

“Taeyeon! Look! The wishing fountain!” Tiffany yelled excitedly as she dragged Taeyeon to the structure. The parents of the two had gone to sit by a nearby bench to catch upon their lives whilst the other siblings went to find other means of entertainment. Taeyeon groaned when she reached the fountain with Tiffany, finding the structure rather bland and boring.

“Can’t we go find something else to do? This fountain is boring,” Taeyeon whined as she tugged on Tiffany’s arm. Tiffany shook her head and leaned over the side of the fountain to see coins at the bottom of the fountain. Taeyeon leaned over with her and smiled brightly at all the money that was just lying in the water. The older of the two girls then pulled up her sleeve and climbed up to the edge of the fountain with a devilish grin. Tiffany tugged on Taeyeon’s arm to bring her back down firmly.

“I know what you’re thinking Tae. No, those are the wishes of other people, you can’t go taking it. It’s stealing,” Tiffany said firmly. Taeyeon whined and pouted as she got off the edge again. Tiffany then turned into her pocket and pulled out a small coin that her father had given her just moments before. She held it in her hand and closed her eyes as she made her wish. Taeyeon on the side was just giggling at Tiffany and finding Tiffany rather silly to be making a wish. She started making fun of Tiffany and pulling faces whilst the younger girl still had her eyes closed.

When Tiffany opened her eyes, she was confronted with Taeyeon pulling her nose and sticking her tongue out at her. Giving off a loud scream of shock, she hit Taeyeon squarely on her forehead and took three quick steps back. Taeyeon laughed loudly at Tiffany’s reaction and had to lean against the fountain to support her weight since her legs were getting weak.

Tiffany huffed with annoyance and threw the coin onto Taeyeon’s head. It had bounced off the top of Taeyeon’s head and into the fountain behind her, shutting Taeyeon’s laughter in the process. Taeyeon rubbed the top of her head sorely and hopped off the fountain as she reached into her pocket to also pull out a coin. She mumbled incoherent words to the coin before throwing it into the fountain with a victorious grin. Tiffany walked up and flicked Taeyeon’s ear whilst staring at the fountain.

“What did you wish for?” Tiffany asked bluntly. Taeyeon just giggled and made a zip locking motion above her lips before locking it up and throwing away the imaginary key. Tiffany frowned and slapped Taeyeon’s shoulder with annoyance. Taeyeon just grinned and shook her head stubbornly as Tiffany continued to try and make her confess. When Taeyeon refused, Tiffany was about to throw another blow to Taeyeon when the older girl stopped her suddenly.

“Alright! Don’t hit me,” Taeyeon said quickly. Tiffany lowered her hand and frowned, waiting for Taeyeon to spill.

“You know you’re not supposed to tell anyone your wish right? If I tell you, it won’t come true,” Taeyeon said with a pout. Tiffany just stuck her tongue out at Taeyeon and walked away from the fountain to her parents. Taeyeon just followed after Tiffany.

“Fine, I’ll tell you. Just away from the fountain though. If the fountain knows I told someone, they won’t grant my wish,” Taeyeon whispered to Tiffany.

“I won’t tell anyone,” Tiffany promised eagerly. Taeyeon just gave a proud smile and gestured for Tiffany to lean her ear to her. Tiffany leaned over to Taeyeon and waited as the girl breathed into her ear.

“I wished that you would stop hitting me so much,” Taeyeon whispered into Tiffany’s ear. Tiffany just stood still, processing Taeyeon’s words slowly. She then reacted and turned around to flick Taeyeon’s forehead with an annoyed expression.

“I don’t hit you-”

“You’re doing it now!” Taeyeon quickly interrupted Tiffany. Tiffany paused and looked at her upraised hand. She quickly put it behind her back and shook her head.

“I wasn’t going to hit you,” Tiffany lied. Taeyeon just laughed and grabbed Tiffany’s hand to drag her back to their parents. The sun was setting and the children were getting tired from the long day of playing.

 

 

I remember that I didn’t hit her that often. Maybe once in a while, but it wasn’t to the point where she would waste a coin to wish that I would stop. At least that’s how I remember it. The fountain hasn’t changed in eight years. The fountain emitted different coloured soft lights from the base which was reflected onto the statue standing in the middle of the fountain.

It wasn’t the best fountain, but it was enough to remember. By looking around, I could see couples snuggling up to each other from the cold. Some were at the fountain tossing coins in, whilst others were sharing food on the benches nearby. It truly was a calm and peaceful Christmas for couples.

As I reached the fountain, I noticed that the bottom was completely filled with coins. I’m sure there was enough money in there to feed a family of four for a whole year. I’m just glad that the people respect that the coins in the fountain are the wishes of people and decided to leave it alone. I took another coin from the pockets of my pants and held it in my palm and I closed my eyes.

I just wish that somehow, by some miracle, I would achieve my life mission. It was a big favour to ask, but I needed all the hope I could get. Throwing the coin into the fountain, I noticed a small paper boat on the surface of the water. I reached in for the boat and pulled it out of the water before it soaked up any more water. I noticed that there was writing on it.

I quickly scanned the area to see if it belonged to anyone. It wasn’t really polite to pry on someone else’s life, but I noticed that no one seemed to own the boat. My curiosity got the better of me and I decided to open it. With each word that I saw, it looked even more familiar to the hand writing of someone I knew. I would even say it was identical.

‘My wish came true. Thank you Mr Fountain. She still does hit me but it’s much less now.’

I don’t know whether it was a coincidence or not. The handwriting was exactly like Taeyeon’s and this message here oddly refers to her wish she made eight years ago. I chuckled at the childish hand writing and couldn’t help but wish that our arranged meeting time would come earlier so that I could see her.

Folding the paper back into a boat, I placed the boat back onto the water where it rightfully belonged. How childish we were back then, making wishes that were all so simple. I remember that I had wished that we would have ice cream for dessert that day. My wish didn’t come true but we did have cake instead, which was the next best thing.

Innocence was something that was thriving strong when we were ten. The next year after that was one of the darker years of my life, but that year was still one of the best I’ve had. It was especially on Christmas which I had my darkest moments but also my brightest. I opened the photo strip from my pocket again and saw the two of us in a casual photo, although it was poorly taken because it was the first time any of us had taken a photo of ourselves. I had red and sore eyes whilst Taeyeon had slightly teary ones. Taeyeon had a slightly mangled smile and I just had a faint smile. In the background I could see the library. With Taeyeon’s horrible photography skills, the photo came out with more background than us. We only took a small portion of the picture. The majority of the photo was the clearing in front of library.

That was my next destination then. The library was not too far from the fountain, so I guess it wouldn’t take long. I could already replay the moments of that day even without being at the location.

 

Seven years ago

“Tiffany… Please stop crying. You’re going to make me cry with you,” Taeyeon said slowly as she used her sleeve to wipe her eyes. Tiffany just continued to look down onto the floor and shook her head as more tears started to fall. It was her first Christmas without her mother and she was really starting to miss her mother from the lack of motherly love on that day.

“She’s not here anymore Taeyeon. Mom isn’t giving me any presents for Christmas anymore. She’s not going to give me anything or even say anything to me anymore,” Tiffany sobbed as she gripped onto the hem of her shirt. Taeyeon patted Tiffany and tried her best to comfort her but couldn’t help but start to tear up from Tiffany’s tears.

Taeyeon wiped away her tears quickly and stood up bravely as she took Tiffany’s hands. Tiffany refused to move and repositioned herself into a small ball as she hugged her knees tightly. Taeyeon dried up the last of her threatening tears and tugged on Tiffany’s arm again. When Tiffany refused to move, Taeyeon took hold of the younger girl’s hands and forcibly placed it around her neck. Tiffany was startled as Taeyeon bent over and carried her against her shoulders. Stumbling slightly, Taeyeon managed to limp and carry Tiffany to the front door.

“We’re going to a different world. Forget about this one and go into the next and better one,” Taeyeon said proudly as she took her coat and gave Tiffany her own. Tiffany was about to turn back and head back to her room but Taeyeon forced her back.

“Tiffany, trust me on this,” Taeyeon said seriously. Tiffany wanted to believe that there was another world but she was too hung up on her own. Being in no position to argue against Taeyeon, Tiffany put on her coat and proceeded to follow Taeyeon out of the house.

 

“Oh no…” Taeyeon groaned miserably as she read the closed sign in front of the library. Tiffany just stood still behind Taeyeon, not caring where they were. Taeyeon gave a long groan and pulled Taeyeon to one of the benches in front of the library. Tears were threatening to fall from Taeyeon’s eyes as she felt a wave of guilt wash over her.

“I’m sorry. I thought I would bring you here to read a few books and get your mind off things but I didn’t realise that it would be closed,” Taeyeon apologized sincerely. Tiffany looked up from the floor to her friend and just shook her head.

“It’s alright. I never liked reading books any way,” Tiffany uttered quietly. Taeyeon just nodded with the realisation and lowered her head even further in shame. Tiffany then took this chance to look around the area. She had never really noticed that the library had such an area in front of it since it was mostly occupied, but with the library closed, it was deserted. Taeyeon gave a long sigh and broke Tiffany out of her thoughts as she sat down beside her.

“Cheer up Tiffany. I really don’t know what to do. I can’t play anything because you’re not playing with me,” Taeyeon whined as she patted Tiffany’s back. Tiffany took in a deep breath and gave a small apology to Taeyeon before going back to the silence.

Taeyeon then felt a bump in her coat and reached her hand in to see what it was. She felt the cold hard plastic of a camera and pulled it out. An idea quickly popped into her head as she jumped to her feet and the camera.

“How about we go hunting?” Taeyeon beamed hopefully. Tiffany just stared blankly at Taeyeon, having no clue about what she was referring to. Taeyeon then took a photo of Tiffany and smiled as she held up the camera up victoriously.

“I found the bright gem named Tiffany,” Taeyeon proclaimed with confidence. Tiffany just blinked with confusion as Taeyeon continued on to the bushes behind them and bent down as she took a photo.

“I found a bug!” Taeyeon continued to call out. Tiffany quickly jumped away from the bush at the mention of a bug being in it. Taeyeon just laughed at Tiffany’s reaction. Taeyeon then stood up and slowly walked to Tiffany with a soft smile. She offered the camera to Tiffany and just waited.

“My father gave me this as a present. You can use it to find things,” Taeyeon said slowly. Tiffany looked down at the camera but remained silent. She took the camera and held it in her hand as she was trying to process the whole point of the game. Taeyeon just eagerly bounded towards Tiffany and pushed her to the bushes nearby.

“If you look carefully, you can probably find even better things than me,” Taeyeon encouraged. Tiffany hesitantly took the camera in her hand and scanned the bushes. To the right of where they were standing, Tiffany found a small lonesome flower in one of the bushes. She took a picture of it on the camera and gave it back to Taeyeon.

“I found a flower,” Tiffany said bluntly. Taeyeon furrowed her eyebrows at Tiffany’s lack of excitement but just sighed as she took another picture of Tiffany.

“I found a lost friend,” Taeyeon said slowly as she gave the camera back to Tiffany. Taeyeon then just stood up again and walked away, leaving Tiffany dumbfounded and confused. She just watched as Taeyeon walked away from her and sat on one of the furthest benches sadly. Tiffany slowly walked up to Taeyeon but Taeyeon moved further away from her.

“Taeyeon?” Tiffany uttered softly. Taeyeon just shook her head and gave a small chuckle. Tiffany could see tears threatening to fall from Taeyeon’s eyes.

“I’m sorry. I just feel so useless. I can’t make Tiffany happy at all. I’m a horrible friend,” Taeyeon said quietly as she inched further away from Tiffany. Tiffany felt her heart sink at Taeyeon’s sudden confession. The two remained silent for a few moments. Tiffany then took the camera in her hand and took a photo of Taeyeon. Taeyeon turned to Tiffany with confusion but Tiffany just gave a small smile back to her.

“I found you,” Tiffany said sincerely. Taeyeon blinked a few times with confusion. She was even more surprised to see Tiffany smiling slightly.

“You are the best treasure I could ever find. A friend who’s always there for me and always so dorky. I found you Kim Taeyeon,” Tiffany giggled slightly as she passed the camera back to Taeyeon.

“I win the game,” Tiffany finished off. Taeyeon just laughed softly to herself and held onto the camera. She nodded and smiled as she wiped away her tears.

 

 

Till this day there, I still haven’t found a better treasure than her. I have found the treasure, but I do not possess it. It is within my grasp but at the same time far from my touch. It was hard to have lost my mother early, but with Taeyeon there, it was bearable. I’m not saying I disregarded my mother completely, I had just learnt to move on.

The library was once again closed and the small garden at the front was once again empty. I walked over to the bushes in which I had taken a picture of the flower before. I bobbed down and scanned the bushes again. This time, there were no flowers. With the cold winter snow, it was hard for anything to bloom. It was then that I caught sight of a flower in the furthest right corner. When I took a closer look, I realised that it was actually a photo.

I reached in and took the photo as I examined it. I flipped it over to the back and noticed the same childish handwriting that was on the paper boat before.

‘To find a flower during the winter is truly a blessing. This flower was something special after all.’

I’m now suspicious. Was Taeyeon doing what I was doing? Going back through memory lane with all our Christmas’ we spent together?

I placed the photo back where I had originally found it and dug into my pocket once more to find my fourth destination. Now this was one of the funniest Christmases I spent with her. The picture held us both with mouthfuls of popcorn. I could see the chairs of the movie theatre lined up behind us and gave a sigh. Reminiscing on these memories just make me yearn for more. How I desperately want to complete my life mission and obtain that unique and most precious treasure of them all.

 

Six years ago

“Taeyeon! Stop eating the popcorn. The movie hasn’t even started yet,” Tiffany whispered harshly as Taeyeon continued popping more of the popcorn in . Seeing that Taeyeon wasn’t listening, she flicked Taeyeon’s forehead with her finger.

“I said stop. We’re going to run out of popcorn,” Tiffany scolded. Taeyeon just rolled her eyes and continued eating as she watched the trailers. Tiffany gave an annoyed huff and crossed her arms around her torso. Taeyeon then just gave a chuckle as she passed Tiffany a full box of popcorn.

“I got an extra one. I’m eating the popcorn now so I don’t have to eat any during the movie,” Taeyeon explained as she continued eating.

“The whole point of popcorn is to eat whilst you’re watching the movie,” Tiffany retaliated. Taeyeon just shrugged and shook her head thoughtfully.

“I can’t hear what they’re saying if I’m eating at the same time as I’m watching. I don’t want to miss out on a thing,” Taeyeon explained with a grin. Tiffany considered Taeyeon’s explanation and found it rather logical. With only a few trailers left, Taeyeon started eating the popcorns faster. Tiffany had also to eat as much as possible so that she could enjoy the movie. The two gave each other a glance and at the same moment, started laughing and choking on their popcorn. Their faces looked bloated from the popcorn collected in their mouth and their serious expressions only made the visual even funnier.

 

 

To take something and devour it as fast as possible just so you can focus on something more important. I guess it was a lesson on priorities. Obviously we cared more for the movie than the joy of slowly eating popcorn. How many things have I devoured in order to focus my attention to something more important? I’m pretty sure there were many. Rushing my homework to spend time with Taeyeon afterschool, eating dinner quickly so I can call Taeyeon and talk to her sooner and of course, who could forget leaving my cousin’s birthday party only after spending half an hour at his house, just so I could go with Taeyeon to the pool.

My cousin was furious with me but I wasn’t close with him anyway so it was all forgotten soon after. Father wasn’t pleased with my actions but he understood that I would rather be with someone who is close to me than with someone I barely knew.

I watched as the line of people entering the movie theatre began to move. How many people have rushed other schedules just so they could be with their friends, family or partner today? I’m sure there is a considerable amount if not almost all.

But there are some things which cannot be rushed. The hunt for the precious unique treasure is something that has to be slow and steady. It is only then that our hard work seems worth it in the end. Life’s mission is never to be rushed, no matter how much we wish to reach the reward. Wishes take time to be granted, so why not use the time span to work harder in achieving our wish? Gain the courage to take the first step and become courageous. If you fall along the way, there will always be someone willing to give a band aid.

That is what I believe, and it is what I am experiencing with each passing year. I just hope that I can work harder to achieve my wish and treasure sooner, but I will not rush it. I shall take it steady and take the necessary steps to complete this life mission.

The next step in my journey down memory lane was the ice cream parlour. We were at the experimental age of thirteen where we were in our first year of being a teenager. We thought we were invincible, after all, to us being a teenager was like being an adult. We were ‘big girls’ now. I laughed as I looked down at the fifth picture. Taeyeon had a cast on her arm as she held an ice cream cone in the other.

 

Five years ago

“Ow! I’m injured, stop abusing me,” Taeyeon whined as Tiffany pinched her cheeks. Tiffany just shook her head and continued to laugh as she saw Taeyeon’s cast on her left arm. Taeyeon just huffed and continued to walk into the ice cream parlour with Tiffany following behind. Their parents had allowed them to spend the Christmas together provided that they reached home in time for the party before sun down.

“I knew you would be in a cast one day Tae. I was actually expecting a full body cast,” Tiffany continued to laugh as she followed behind. Taeyeon just ignored Tiffany and continued to queue in line to buy her ice cream.

“Shows how much my friend cares for me,” Taeyeon muttered under her breath. Tiffany just patted Taeyeon’s back and took a deep breath to calm down her laugh. She was actually rather worried when she heard that Taeyeon had a skating accident. Apparently Taeyeon was over excited and went to skate on the ice before checking whether it was safe. The ice broke and she slammed her hand against the thicket ice whilst being dunked in freezing cold water.

“I do care for you. That’s why I’m treating you to ice cream now,” Tiffany smiled innocently. Taeyeon just chuckled and shrugged her shoulders as the line proceeded along. The two were waiting in line impatiently due to their agree curfew time set by their parents. As the counter called them up, they didn’t notice the puddle of water in front of them. Tiffany was the first to slip, not forgetting to grab onto Taeyeon and dragging her along. The two girls ended up flat against their backsides with people questioning and wondering if they were okay.

“We’re fine,” Tiffany just uttered with embarrassment. Taeyeon on the other hand groaned slightly as her broken arm started to ache. Taeyeon exchanged glances with Tiffany as the two started laughing at how comical they must have looked to the onlookers. As an apology from the owner of the ice cream parlour, the two received free ice cream.

 

No matter how strong you feel, you’re not invincible. Never delve in head first into a situation. There were so many steps in order to achieve my life mission that it began to get complicated. Some would somewhat contradict the other, but it makes sense to me. I fully understand the processes in which I have to go through.

I sighed as I saw the line of people in the ice cream parlour. I took a seat once I stepped in and breathed in the sweet warm smell of the waffles that were cooking in the kitchen. I turned my head to face the front of the line where our comical scene had taken place. I stood up quickly when I noticed a sign in front of the line with the childish writing that I had seen on so many things earlier.

‘Floor is slippery when wet. Watch your step. :]’

“Excuse me, do you know who put up this sign?” I asked one of the workers quickly. The worker seemed a little startled at why I would ask such a question but just smiled warmly at me.

“Oh, the young lady was here just a few moments ago. She said that she didn’t wish for anyone to break an arm and decided to hang up that sign,” he answered sincerely. It had to be her. It couldn’t be anyone else. Why was I always a step too late?

“Thank you,” I thanked the worker and proceeded out of the parlour.

“Merry Christmas!” he shouted after me.

“Merry Christmas to you too!” I answered back with a smile. Good old Christmas spirit. You can never get enough of it. Getting back onto business, I scanned the area in hopes of having a sign of where she was. Realising that I had a map of my own, I took it out and looked for the sixth picture.

This was one of the calmer years. It was just the two of us on the open skating arena. Taeyeon was paranoid of the ice due to the experience the earlier year and I was just plain horrible at skating in general.

Not wasting any time, I quickly made my way to the skating arena. I was careful on my way though. I didn’t want to risk landing myself in hospital before I could see her.

 

Four years ago

“No. I don’t want to. That pond doesn’t look safe,” Taeyeon huffed stubbornly as she crossed her arms across her chest and turned away from the open skating arena. Tiffany wasn’t too keen on the skating either due to her lack in skills, but just watching the others glide across the ice made her want to learn how to skate. Taeyeon knew how to skate but was stubborn with the safety of the pond.

“Taeyeon, they tested it already. People have been skating on it all day. It’s perfectly safe. Stop being paranoid,” Tiffany groaned. Taeyeon just refused to listen and walked away. Tiffany just pouted and crouched against the snow floor as she continued to watch them skate.

Not refusing to give up, Tiffany stood up and decided to try her luck on the ice. As soon as she stepped onto the ice, her skates slid across the surface. Not accustomed to the change in surface, Tiffany ended up falling over on the first step. Taeyeon on the side was just buying a warm muffin from one of the stores when she turned around to see Tiffany getting up off the ice.

Tiffany was determined to at least stand up on her own, and after a few tries and painful falls, she managed to get up onto her two feet. Taeyeon continued to watch curiously as Tiffany wobbled in her spot to keep her balance.

“Do you need help there Tiffany?” Taeyeon called out from her spot. Tiffany wobbled slightly to turn and face Taeyeon. She gave the thumbs up to Taeyeon but lost her footing and fell back onto her again. She slid a few feet away from the side and somehow, ended up in the centre of the pond. Taeyeon rolled her eyes and walked up to the end of the pond as Tiffany tried to get back up. Once Tiffany was on her two feet again, she lifted her foot to try and get to the side again but did not go too well when she put her foot back down. She was not used to it sliding beneath her and ended up doing a semi split of pain.

“You know, you can always ask for help. I’m more than willing to teach you how to skate,” a low voice scolded Tiffany as a hand outstretched to her. Tiffany took the hand and looked up to see Taeyeon with a smug expression. Once they were standing, Taeyeon quickly grabbed onto Tiffany’s hands and steadied the both of them.

“So do you wish for my help?” Taeyeon asked mockingly. Tiffany just stuck her tongue out, refusing to submit to Taeyeon’s superiority. Taeyeon just shrugged and let go of Tiffany’s hands. Instantaneously, Tiffany leaned forward and gripped onto Taeyeon’s torso for balance.

“Well?” Taeyeon asked again. Tiffany gritted her teeth at Taeyeon and just gave a long and heavy sigh.

“Fine, all superior Taeyeon. Can you please help me learn how to skate?” Tiffany said with sarcasm. Taeyeon just laughed loudly and patted Tiffany’s head like an obedient pet.

“Close enough,” Taeyeon chuckled.

 

It was after that that I never hesitated to ask her for help again. She had helped me countless times as I have for her. It was nice to have someone there for you in case you need a helping hand. I never hesitated to call out for help and I shall never be again. Life’s mission would be impossible if it were to be accomplished alone. Friends and family play an important role as support during your mission, even if your goal is a friend, they can still support you unconsciously.

As I was approaching the open skating arena, I could see my life’s mission right there in the middle of the ice rink. She was holding onto a small girl’s hand as she was guiding the girl to slide her feet against the snow. I couldn’t help but smile brightly at the scene.

“That’s it, just go slowly with one foot at a time. I’ve got you so don’t be scared,” I heard her say slowly. I heard a loud and hearty giggle come from the girl before her. The young girl was definitely enjoying herself. So was I when I was being taught by that dork, Kim Taeyeon. Taeyeon was slowly guiding the girl as the girl began to become more confident. Taeyeon let go of one hand and gave some freedom to the girl.

The two of them then proceeded to skate around a few laps before ending the lesson. I decided to meet them at the exit of the pond and noticed that the girl was giving Taeyeon a huge grateful hug. She was really cute to be honest. And by ‘she’ I meant the both of them. The girl then ran off the show off to her parents that she learnt how to skate. I could hear a chuckle from Taeyeon as she continued to stare at the girl with a grateful smile.

“You know, you seem like a child predator like that,” I chuckled. She whipped her head up with surprise to see me standing beside her. She quickly stood up and checked the time. We still had around half an hour before our arranged meeting time.

“I thought it was at eight,” the panicked. I just laughed at her before flicking her on the forehead. An act of violence that developed since young has now become a sign of affection. She held her forehead where I flicked and laughed silently.

“We did agree on eight. It seems that you’re leaving behind a lot of rubbish though. Such a litterbug,” I mocked as she limped to a nearby bench in her skates. As she was unbuckling her skates, she gave me a questionable glance. I took the seat beside her and gave a long sigh. Another year with her and I couldn’t be any happier.

“What rubbish?” she asked as she took off her skates. One of the service people came with Taeyeon’s shoes and swapped them with the skates. I waited for her to finish before I continued. The girl from before suddenly came bounding to Taeyeon. She opened her hand out eagerly to show a small heart shaped chocolate in the palm of her hand.

“For me?” Taeyeon asked as she pointed to herself. The girl before us nodded eagerly. Taeyeon just smiled and took the chocolate from her hand. Taeyeon then returned the favour to the girl by giving her a peck on the cheek. I know it’s childish to be jealous of the younger girl, but I couldn’t help it. She got to get a glimpse of my personal treasure.

“Are you jealous? You’re clenching your jaw again,” Taeyeon laughed as she looked back at me. The girl ran off excitedly back to her family. She should be counting her blessings. Taeyeon just gave her a peck on the cheek. Of course I have gotten a few over the years, but that girl barely knew Taeyeon. It wasn’t fair that I had to work so hard to even get a hug from her, yet a small girl can receive a kiss in a few minutes of meeting.

“You wish. What is there to be jealous of?” I answered back as I swung my legs back and forth on the bench. She just laughed quietly and nodded as she finished off putting on her shoes. The two of us paused as I took a moment to rearrange the mess that was in my head.

“It seems that I wasn’t the only one going down memory lane. You’ve been visiting the places we’ve been before, haven’t you?” I asked steadily. She looked at me with a rather surprised expression but was quickly followed by a sheepish grin. She just scratched the back of her head and nodded slowly with embarrassment. How I desperately wanted to give up pursuing her and just take her here, but I knew that if I were to do that, I would only scare her off and probably never get a chance to fully have her.

“Today is the ninth Christmas that we spend together. Nine is a special number to me so I was kind of nervous about today. I had nothing else to do until our meeting time so I decided to visit the places in which we visited before. I have to say it does bring back so many memories. I do not regret any single one of those years,” Taeyeon admitted slowly. It’s funny how we could be so in sync sometimes. I had every single thought that she had and it was almost freakish that we would do everything similar.

“If I have my timeline right, in which case it always is, we still have three more years to visit,” I sighed as I took out my map. She leaned in closer to me and looked at the strip of photos. As she was looking at each one, the smile on her face grew. The sixth destination was the music hall. Taeyeon’s parents had given Tiffany tickets to see a Christmas music concert and naturally, the two of them went together.

“Well I guess we’ll finish off the quest down memory lane together then,” Taeyeon laughed as she stood up quickly. She turned around and held her hand out to me. I willingly took her hand as she pulled me off the bench. The wind started to blow ever so slightly as she pulled on my arm to our next destination.

 

Three years ago

“Taeyeon, they’re starting their first song soon. Are you done yet?” Tiffany called through the door of the bathroom. There were no cubicles, just a small bathroom for one person to occupy at once. Taeyeon had fallen ill that year but was persistent in accompanying Tiffany to the concert. After rinsing from the taps, Taeyeon stepped out of the toilets and gave a reassuring to Tiffany.

“You know we can just see them next year. There’s no rush,” Tiffany said worriedly as she noticed Taeyeon’s weak composure. Taeyeon shook her head firmly and grabbed onto Tiffany’s hand as they made their way into the many crowds of people.

“There’s no guarantee that they’ll return to our city. This is a once in a lifetime chance,” Taeyeon explained as she continued to push past the people. Tiffany gripped onto Taeyeon’s hand tightly. She was worried for the older girl’s health. Taeyeon’s hand was trembling slightly in Tiffany’s and the temperature of her hands was below what it should be.

“Taeyeon, you’re not feeling well. I don’t think we should even be here,” Tiffany pulled Taeyeon back and away from the crowd firmly. Taeyeon faced Tiffany with a heartbroken and disappointed expression. Although Tiffany was usually strong willed, she was helpless against her sick friend.

“You promised you would make me feel better,” Taeyeon pouted. Tiffany held her resolve and continued to pull Taeyeon away from the mass of people.

“I will. Taking you here will only make you even sicker. I don’t want to be cleaning up after you,” Tiffany answered back. Taeyeon continued to drag her feet and tug against Tiffany’s pull as they approached the exit. Giving one long and disproving groan, Taeyeon rooted her feet into the floor and refused to move.

“Just this once, can you please not worry about me? It’s not like I’ll end up in hospital if I stay here. At most I would probably just be spending an extra week in bed. I want to see them perform Tiffany, and no matter how much you disprove of it, I will not follow you back home,” Taeyeon huffed arrogantly. Tiffany crossed her arms and stared at the stubborn but sick Taeyeon. Taeyeon was really passionate about her music, and to add to her resolve, her favourite band was performing in the Christmas event. Tiffany’s resolve was deteriorating quickly as she thought through Taeyeon’s reasons.

“Honestly, sometimes I wonder if you’re a lawyer in your past life or something. Once your band finished performing, we head home. Do I make myself clear?” Tiffany huffed as she pointed her finger at Taeyeon. Taeyeon’s expression brightened immediately. She nodded eagerly like an obedient pet and quickly grabbed onto Tiffany’s hand to push through the crowds once more.

Taeyeon of course had gotten even more ill after the concert, but Tiffany knew that Taeyeon had no regrets. The older girl had a grin plastered over her face for over a week, even with her sick health.

 

“I realised that you submit to me quite a lot,” Taeyeon’s voice rang through the silent music hall. There were no events on so the hall was left alone. It seemed to be so much bigger and spacious without the hundreds of people pushing against each other and cheering. Taeyeon walked up to the front centre of the hall where our seats were during the concert. She reached into her pocket and pulled out another piece of paper to put on the seat.

“You do realise you can be fined for littering, right?” I chuckled as she walked back up to me. She just stuck her tongue out at me and proceeded to stare up at the stage. I walked up to our seats to see our old and used tickets sitting on the seats.

“Did you really keep everything from the past nine years?” I questioned as I noticed that the tickets were still in a rather good condition.

“It wasn’t intentional. I had found the camera roll of that time at the library and decided to reprint the pictures that we took. The band aid was something you gave me a few weeks ago and as for these tickets, they’re a very special momentum for me. It reminds me that I actually got to see them perform live,” she explained with a shrug. I just flicked her forehead and laughed at her. Although I made it seem like I found her actions humorous, I actually was rather impressed. The Taeyeon I knew would rarely express herself or show any type of emotion. With her actions today, I got a glimpse of how she really felt.

I stared up to the stage where the performances were held. Even now, Taeyeon still doesn’t regret staying at the concert. I guess she was willing to risk her safety to pursue her dream. Take the chance while it was presented to you. I smiled discreetly to myself as I leaned my arm against Taeyeon’s shoulder.

“Still no regrets?” I questioned her.

“Absolutely none. Two weeks of pain was worth it,” she pronounced confidently. I just laughed and flicked her forehead again before pulling out the map that would take us to our next location. This seventh photo had a cameo of a special friend of ours. In between the two of us, there was a fluffy little kitten in our arms. In behind the two of us and the cat was a large pine tree decorated with lights and Christmas ornaments.

“Shall we continue?” I asked her as it was my turn to outstretch my arm. She took it willingly as I led the way out of the hall and towards the centre of the city where the large pine tree would have been decorated already.

“I wonder how that cat’s doing,” Taeyeon whispered as we walked past the exit of the hall. I also do wonder what happened to that kitten. It was so cute after all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Still finishing it x_x 

Sorry)