“I love you, Sica…”

Yuri’s voice was shaking. She was still trembling from the cold breeze that the lake had been emitting.

She knew the possibilities. She knew what could happen to the both of them. She knew that saying it would mean that she might never hear it ever again.

But she didn’t care. All she thought about was Jessica, and how she meant the world to her.

“I love you too.”

A single teardrop trickled down her cheek. Hearing those words back felt like a wind breeze.

She made a mental on how it sounded like, coming from an angelic voice.

She prepared for the unknown. It was either her or Jessica. She wished to preserve the memories. She’d rather live with the memories only she knew than forget any of it.

Everything was precious- from the very first time they met to the time she started feeling butterflies in her stomach.

She closed her eyes and anticipated for a change- something that she never wanted to happen.

Her moment of silence was disrupted when she felt a pair of lips touching hers. She slowly opened her eyes and realized that her first kiss was already taken.

The other girl pulled away gently, wearing a smile on her face.

“And don’t you ever forget that.” Jessica whispered, wiping away Yuri’s tears using her thumb.

Yuri was surprised; shocked that nothing happened. ‘She still remembers?’

She smiled in content as she pulled her into a warm embrace.

“I won’t. Ever.”

The couple remained silent as they watched the ripples in the waters. Yuri gazed up at the sky and thanked whoever brought Jessica into her life. She smiled while looking at the stars, silently wishing that it would never end.

She felt Jessica’s head leaning on her shoulder. The other girl was already fast asleep.

---

It was early in the morning. The sun had just risen. Jessica woke up from sleeping under a tree just across the lake.

She didn’t even remember how she got there. The last thing she knew was that her dad’s car was towed and brought downtown.

She pressed her temples as she thought deeply about what happened. She remembered that her dad promised that they would visit her grandparents in the countryside and spend the rest of the summer there.

She was relieved when she touched her pocket and felt her phone vibrating. She picked it up.

“Hello, dad?”

…

“I’m completely fine! My head just kinda hurts but I’m good!”

…

“I don’t know where this place is exactly… But I’ll ask for directions. Don’t worry. I’ll find my way back.”

…

“Yes. I’ll be safe and sound. Tell grandma and grandpa I’m fine!”

…

“Okay. Bye.”

…

She pocketed her phone and stared at the lake in front of her. A weird feeling crept inside her when a gush of wind brushed her cheeks, blowing her hair to the side.

She clutched her shirt just above her chest and felt something odd. It was like a feeling of emptiness without an apparent reason- like pain without a cause.

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply before walking out to find her way back to her dad.

***

Present time.

“Unnie! Wake uuuup!!”

Hayeon was continuously poking her sister’s shoulder.

“It’s Saturday!!!” she shouted at Taeyeon’s ear, making the latter all startled.

“Yah!!” Taeyeon shouted back, scratching her head in annoyance. “Did you really have to yell at me?”

Hayeon stuck her tongue out as she ran inches away from her sister.

“The deal! Take me to the Candyland place!!”

“What Candyland?!”

Hayeon shrugged. “You tell me.”

Taeyeon contemplated a bit and remembered that certain day when her little sister played with her handphone. ‘Maybe she saw some pictures of Romantic Street?’

She yawned once before uttering in defeat, “Okay, fine.”

---

Taeyeon brought her sister to the place which she had known to be called “Romantic Street.”

‘If I’m not mistaken, this is the entrance.’

She gazed up to see a huge gate behind two street lamps. She carefully walked forward and waited for someone to stop them- like a guard or something. But nobody appeared.

She held Hayeon’s wrist and they began to walk in.

It was like a magical mist. As soon as they stepped beyond the gate, the place drastically changed into a completely different atmosphere- from the uptown streets of Seoul, into a candyland.

“Woooooow!!!”

The younger girl couldn’t stop herself from gaping at every stall. She was too enthralled with the place as if it was playing mind tricks on her.

It was beyond her imagination. There were chocolates everywhere, giant lollipops, a slide made up of