∆ Within Spirit || ChaeDa [ © Listerinee ]

04

Many things ran through Dayeon’s mind; Was she held back? Did her plane crash? Did something happen while she was gone? Did she forget? Does she have a better life there?

Chaehyun had stopped texting her back, stopped calling her, and even stopped posting on her social media. But what drove her insane the most was the question that lingered in the back of her mind, every second, every minute, every hour, every day.

Did Chaehyun never like her from the start and left her?

Throughout the year, the questions faded and she learned to just accept it. Chaehyun was officially gone- at least that’s what her mind said. Her heart always tugged at her, little by little. It told her that there was still such a thing called ‘hope’. But she wasn’t worrying about it anymore. In fact, she had something else on her mind.

As of now, Dayeon was tucked under her blanket, staring at her ceiling. Her steady breathing, the clock ticking every second and the wind blowing mercilessly outside the window filled her ears. Her thoughts felt scattered and like her sanity was slowly falling down a drain. She didn’t understand.

Why wasn’t the girl in the photo?

Earlier in the day, Dayeon ventured further than usual to capture new shots with her camera for a project she had been working on. She found acres of land covered with bright flowers that were painted and stretched across. A dandelion flower field. The warm tones of the dandelions emitted a comfortable, cozy feeling towards Dayeon. And best of all, the sun shone with the perfect brightness. It delivered the perfect spring vibe so she decided to snap a few photos in the middle of the field. She admired the blossoms as she walked through, and hoped she wasn’t trespassing.

As she marched between rows of dandelions, her eyes caught the sight of an ethereal figure, not too far away from her. The individual was taking in the fragrance of a dandelion, their profile showing off distinctly and their back facing Dayeon. Their peach hair fell perfectly over their shoulders, half of it being tied up and the white dress completed the breathtaking look. From where Dayeon was standing, it was the perfect distance, perfect scenery, the perfect shot. Dayeon pulled her camera out and gulped, worried that the person would turn around and spot her.

“Hope she doesn’t mind.. I’ll show her after.” Dayeon whispered to herself as she adjusted the positioning of the camera and looked through the lenses. After a bit of zooming in and out, she snapped a photo, the satisfying noise of a click being heard.

“Okay.” Dayeon had a lip-tight smile, satisfied with the photo she just took. Or, maybe not. Her face dropped when she looked at the results.

“What the.. Huh?” Dayeon couldn’t believe it. Her gaze shifted between the results and the view in front of her. Confusion flooded her brain each time she looked back and forth between the girl and the camera. Without being able to answer her own questions, it itched under her skin and rubbed her the wrong way. Dayeon snapped another photo of the girl, but it was a bit rougher.

“What the fuck? Is my camera broken or something?” Dayeon cursed under her breath, brows furrowing as she grew tense. The breathtaking girl was missing in her photos. All it was, was the serene landscape and the main focus out of sight; not to be seen.

“I don’t believe it.” Dayeon scoffed and looked back up at the girl, unexpectedly sharing gazes. The girl looked straight through her eyes and struck fear in Dayeon. Her breath hitched, and she awkwardly spun on her heel, making her way to the exit of the field as quickly as possible. She couldn’t go without a wave of embarrassment washing over her.

It kept Dayeon awake all night. She tossed and turned under the blanket, practically making her bed a bit messy. She was being driven crazy and it made her feel just a bit miserable. Dayeon felt like begging for an answer, but what would be one to answer her? There was nothing she could do but decide to go back to the same field, in hope that the girl would be there yet again.