You Make Me Better

Mise-en-Scène

[The morning after your first date with Chae]

You slept well last night for the first time in your memory. You actually felt good and got out of bed with a renewed sense of purpose. Today was the first day of a new you.

It wasn't as if your date with Chaeyeon had changed who you are, it just seemed to uncover you. Three years had passed since you even knew what that meant. "I"... it's such a vague term. You knew what it meant, but something about its meaning always seemed to be incomplete. You felt incomplete. As you began to wash up you felt the water cascade around and off your body. As you washed your face as quickly as possible, it came again.

That feeling of drowning: it never seems to go away does it? It always peered over your shoulder, waiting for the opportunity to claim you again. The motions over your face lasted a few seconds at most but for you, time seemed to stand still. The droplets of water stopped falling, there was no sound, there was only you and that dreadful feeling. You sat down, wanting to catch your breath. "Why am I like this? It's not like I've had a bad life or something." You took hold of yourself seeing your arm stuck to the wall like you had just been pushed. You put it at your side and took a second to collect yourself.

You sighed, having caught your breath. There you were, nearly on your back in the shower for no good reason. 'It's been three years already.' Not only do you feel embarrassed, you feel guilty.

Standing in front of the mirror you saw your face. It was time to start the day.

Through your morning preparations, you thought of Chaeyeon nonstop. You wanted to talk to her soon. She made you feel like the world made sense, and that there was a purpose to it all. Chaeyeon made you feel worth it.

You picked up your phone to text her and as you did something rather unanticipated happened. You received a text from Chaeyeon.

"Last night was really lovely. You still want to go to that park?"

"With you the where doesn't matter so much."

"You're so cheesy."

"Sorry... lol"

"Don't get me wrong, I kind of like cheesy."

"So when are you available?"

"How about today?..."

"Any time in particular?"

"I could go for a morning walk. You?"

"I'll be right over."

She answered her door like she was waiting for you. She wasn't wearing date clothes, just a simple, cool weather outfit and minimal makeup from what you could tell. She really doesn't have to try to be pretty.

The two of you made your way to the park from last night. It was about an hour before noon. The wind was light and brisk. At the park entrance you turned back to Chaeyeon and instinctively you took a deep breath, averting your gaze to the sky. You saw a cloud painted like an owl. Funny how something so spastic as a plume of gaseous water can mean something on accident.

"The weather is lovely today, isn't it?" Chaeyeon asked.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I prefer the cold myself, how about you?"

"As long as there's a warm hand to share it with." She said holding out her hand.

You both laughed. "Look who's being cheesy now." You said coyly taking her hand.

It was the time of year when fall has not quite started, but it doesn't feel like summer. Things were ending you felt. Even so, look what had been born.

As smooth as you knew her to be, you had never been her target. Chaeyeon broke your holding hands to point out a kid she said was cute. As she put her hand back down she interlocked her fingers with yours.

Your heart raced like a tortoise. You felt supercharged but where you thought you'd be busting at the seams, you felt safe. For the first time in three years, you felt like you weren't alone.

So entranced by her charms, you nearly forgot to look at the beautiful park scenery. It didn't take you long to walk through, being a city park, so you didn't know what to do when the pair of you came out the other side. You looked down at her hand in yours and knew it was alright, something would come. Things were too right to end there.

Apparently you're a prophet. Chaeyeon pointed out an aquarium advert with a nearby address. The two of you made your way there quietly, you had much to talk about, but that could come later. This was a moment to savor.

Entering the aquarium you had Chaeyeon lead the way, your hands radiant in the blackening halls. Within a minute the only light was a dark blue and water surrounded you. This was different. This time, you could breathe. This time, you had Chaeyeon.