Melted Flowers, Melted Friendships

Chapter V: "A Scar And A Wish"

     The streets were far more crowded tonight than expected.

     The excess noise and the curious gazes seemingly following them on their journey down the sidewalk; Kyra ducked her head down low when her eyes met anothers. Lights from the stores they passed shone bright, sparkling iridescently through glittered windows and onto the floor as the moon above shimmered gracefully in the dark sky; a steady gust of winter wind depicting Seoul's current atmosphere, and Kyra huddled into her clothing as a shiver ran down her spine.
     It was a beautiful night, yet, each bit of it appeared lifeless in Kyra's eyes. The stars beginning to dim, the beautiful moon hiding behind thick clouds and leaving her drowning in the dark depths of anxiety; leaving her to flail about in search for purchase on a steady object to stop her drifting. The only thing that stayed the same was the chilly breeze that swept her bangs from her amber eyes.

     Frankenstein remained close to her side whilst they were on their way home from the tailor shop; as a future pupil of Ye-Ran High, Kyra was in dire need of a uniform. The blonde couldn't stop smiling at the thought of her attending his school. But his joy soon dwindled as he seen the girls blank face.

     "Kyra..." he broke the tense silence, making her turn her gaze towards him, "Are you tired?"

     The young girl just shook her head as she followed Frankenstein, attempting to match his wide stride. His long legs giving him the advantage of speed against her shorter legs and stride; she didn't want to fall behind as she watched him pull ahead of her, yet she sped up only for Frankenstein to pull to an abrupt stop.

     "A-ah...!"

     A quiet squeak escaped Kyra's mouth as she planted her feet to the ground, stopping short of crashing into Frankenstein's back. The girl lowered her head, small huffs muffled by the noise of a busy street. She soon, however, dared to peek up through her bangs in an attempt to see Frankenstein's figure; he appeared to be focusing on what looked like a food stand in the distance.

     "Ch...'Chim's'...'do...nuttery...'?"

     'Kim's Donuttery': a well-known place in the neighborhood. Kyra never heard of such place, and she nevertheless happened to have trouble reading. Fortunately, the blonde didn't pay attention; he kept staring at the stand for one second more, before approaching it immediately.

     He must be hungry, Kyra thought, as she stayed behind. She was aware of the considerable amount of time Frankenstein had spent outdoors for her: in addition to her uniform, he had to purchase her a mobile phone and several school supplies, which made her feel indebted enough to the blonde. To think he would be so kind to her despite the fact that she didn't have anything to contribute to the trouble for that evening, let alone everything else he had done for her in the short time he knew her; no one had done so much for her since long ago. She could have never imagined having a home, or a room of her own; she could have never though those only imagined things would actually ever happen.

     Will they get hurt too...?

     A pang in her sternum made her clutch at her chest, terror winding between her ribs and wrapping around her hear like a vice grip. Her lips trembled, yet she pursed them together as she clenched her jaw to hide the trembling.

     They won't...die...

     But Kyra forced her body to relax and took a deep breath, unclenching her jaw on the count of five and rolling her tense shoulders.

     This is not going to repeat.

     "Here."

     Kyra winced, emerging from her land of thought to stare up at the tall blonde. She gave him a perplexed expression as he grinned at her while holding a paperbag.