yay for cheating. no need to tell me that. i know. who cares? i don't. :p

Life is a mystery, Love, sweet as cherry,

I ran and ran, the farther I could get away from the people, the better. In fact, I'd love to fly far, far away from this place. But then, the woman would think I'm really scared of her and wanted to run.

And I actually just made the stupidest excuse that I need to use the washroom. Ugh. Why am I so slow and couldn't think of something better?

She even said, "Don't forget to come back." with that eerie smile of hers that doesn't look like one at all.

I kept rushing my steps, uneasy at the recollection, I bumped into someone, I looked up. A waiter holding a tray of flutes containing purple-ish red drinks. He almost fell down with the glasses and just imagine the disaster if that happened. Luckily, or maybe not so, I succeeded to stop that tragedy from happening.

Unfortunately, it was by pulling and clinging onto the waiter that looked so young he could pass as my son. And the sound of the shaking flutes on the tray he was holding made heads turn to us. Those guests were all in their masks, but I had none. And yet despite not being able to see their faces clearly, I could feel their judging eyes, probably thinking of me as a desperate cougar who tried to forcingly flirt with this young boy. 

"Are you okay." The boy with quite a screeching tone asked, making me realized I was still holding onto him.

"Sorry." I let go of him, and bowed.

"No, thank you for helping, Noona. You just saved my life. Here." He bowed cheerfully and passed a glass and disappeared back into the crowds, leaving me alone and confused there. I finished the glass' contents in one go, and made my way out of the wide, stifling ballroom filled with prying eyes hidden behind their glittery and feathery masks. My blood pressure problems could get serious again if I remained there.

The drink tasted familiar, though that was the least of my concern. I was just so relieved to be able to find a small exit from the confinement of the huge walls.

Nobody seemed to be out there. It was a passage it seemed, and after half a minute, some waiters walked passing through the passage. So, it probably was a path that connects the hall with the kitchen or something...I guess. None of them wore masks, since it seemed only the guests had their faces covered. I couldn't possibly go along the route, if they caught me, what if they think I was after one of those fresh faced young flower boy waiters? After what happened inside the hall just now, I couldn't take the risk.

I was ready to go back inside the hall, when I noticed another door at one corner of the passage. Everyone of those workers simply walked past the door without entering it. Maybe that could be an exit from this place? It's not like there's any use for me to be here anymore since the wedding vow ceremony ended, and after seeing the bride, it could all be a trick after all. I shouldn't have come. How could I be so stupid, still, at this age? Aish.

Well, I couldn't get back in there, might as well, try see what's behind this door.

Needless to say, that's what I did, and to my surprise, behind the door was a small garden, with big trees blooming with flowers that surrounded the small piece of land, almost creating an illusion of walls. The flowers looked almost like cherry blossom, except that...there isn't any cherry blossom in dark red colour, is there?

My curiosity and the wonders of seeing such vivid scenery with the fiery red petals comfortably sat on the deep luscious cooling green bed of grass that looked too neatly cut drew me forward and into the garden, and the darkening sky brightened by bright white lights. The colours and the scene were so vivid it's almost unreal.

"Wow...I thought this kind of place only exists in Winter Sonata...or whatever the drama name is."

An unfamiliar sound alarmed me, and it seemed that I wasn't the only one alarmed. There was a bench under one of the trees, a bench I didn't notice before. And there, sat something...no, I mean, somebody, that had stood up and was trying to run as I say this, all covered in robe, dark coloured, and the robe had a cape that covered the person's head as well.

"Wait. Did I disturb you? I'm sorry for coming in without uh...knocking."

The person stopped moving around but I could still sense the panic just from the subtle vibration of the robe, Still only his or her back facing me.

Whoever wears a robe at a wedding party? I mean, I know this is a masquerade and a grand scale party, but...a dark blue...or black...cloak? Seriously?

"Ch...Cherryish?" The name just slipped out of my mouth, because I couldn't associate such absurdness with anyone else, not that I follow the pop culture that closely, except for those whom I have personally worked with.

And that person in robe turned. Though it didn't reveal anything since he or she was all covered up, even the mask worn covered the majority of the face. But the person still seemed scared, with his or her head kept directed at the door where I came from, before looking down suddenly. But if this is Cherryish, why does he or she need to be scared of people? What? Do I look that scary?

"I'm not going to do anything. I'm just looking for the exit and got here. But...are you really Cherryish?"

The robed person frozed for a few seconds before finally nodding slowly. 

"Ahh, okay. Do you know where's the exit to leave this place? Preferably one that doesn't have nosy guards?"

The answer I received in the form of shaking head was somewhat expected. 

"Is this your place?"

There was another void filled with hesitation before he or she finally shook the head again. I would've believed if this person is actually mute.

"No? Then, can I sit here for awhile?" Though I wasn't going to take no as an answer since it's not like this is his or her place.

A slow nod.

And since there's no other bench I simply sat at the bench where Cherryish was occupying earlier on, it's been awhile since I last sat down so I couldn't really be bothered if I made him or her angry. Well, the bench could seat like three or four people.

"Why are you here anyway and not inside there?" I began after noticing he or she had sat down at the other end of the bench. It'd be better to make some conversation rather than letting awkward silence fill the air.

Cherryish only kept staring at me behind his or her mask, not answering anything. Huh, typical kids, they probably think I don't even have the right to talk to them let alone ask them questions.

But then Cherryish did some hand gestures and at the end of it, brought the hand to his or her covered neck. Well, even the hands were entirely covered in gloves or something. What a weirdo, but at least he or she seemed to try explaining something. Only that, it was hard to understand.

"Ahh...it's so stuffy inside so you just want fresh air?"

A nod. Well, I simply came up with that since that's one of the things I felt inside that hall. And I thought that was enough of small talk and now I could be in peace, but then he or she pointed at me.

"Me?"

A nod.

"Same. It's stuffy inside. And besides, this is not really the place for me anyway."

I thought that should be enough, but Cherryish took something out of his or her robe, and there's a sketchbook and a...fountain pen,