My One True Sin | SaTzu

16.

SEONYUDO PARK

Sana heaved a sigh and took the first step toward the bridge, which curved over the river like a rainbow. In other words, it was exactly the kind of spot she had been looking for. It was wooden and pedestrian with no risk of bicycles or cars flying by that could collide with her.

The bridge was the only way to get to the island without a boat, she could tell as she reached the top of the arch and turned to face where she was going. It was an odd location with just the tallest pylons and skyscrapers on the Seoul skyline visible behind it due to a high tree line. Sana continued traveling since she didn't want to impede the flow of pedestrian traffic.

Despite being covered in vines, the concrete pillars continued to stand as nature had taken over. A greenhouse packed with plants drew both students and aspiring botanists to the area, where bamboo grew tall and proud on each side of the entrance pathway.

Sana received a text from Mina regarding what to do tomorrow in the school, but was too entranced by this enchanted place to even look at her phone. If she had, she might have realized that she already had gone to Seonyudo Park, her favorite place.

Seonyudo Park was in the late hours of the night. It was a cool night, and there were lingering clouds in the sky. Most of them were dark, but some trudged along, swollen and weighted with water and tinted with dusky grey. When Sana checked the forecast the day before, she hadn't noticed rain, so she figured it would wait until night time or until the morning to surprise morning commuters.

Because of the cold, Sana can see her own breath and feel it through her hands. The greatest course of action to relieve tiredness and stress is to visit this place. She was observing the stars as she seated on the nearest bench.

She closed her eyes for a moment. She inhaled deeply before rising from her seat.

"I have to get home, it's getting cold, and I know my mom will be waiting for me."

She continued walking while keeping both hands in her coat's pocket. She stopped as she was making her way to the empty street and noticed a short-haired girl sitting on the bench and staring up at the night sky.

Her eyes are as bright as stars. She heard her exhale deeply, which was followed by a smile. She appears content. She can't help but smile. However, she quickly hid herself behind this tree so that she was hidden when the latter looked back her way, which is why she was invisible to her.

Sana was about to turn to look at where she was seated when she abruptly appeared on the tree's side, shocking her all of a sudden.

"Sana? Why are you hiding?"

"N-nothing."

"Are you stalking me?"

"No, of course not!"

"Oh, really?"

"Stop being so full of yourself, Chou."

"You can just call me Tzuyu."

"W-what are you doing here?"

"This is my safe place when I'm tried, you know school is very tiring. How about you, though? It's already late at night."

"To relieve stress in school, I still have stuff to accomplish even though it is Saturday."

"Being the student council's President is not an easy task."

"Right."

"Are you going home now?"

"Yes."

"C-can I walk with you?"

Sana stared at her for a quite few second, she stammered in front of her for the first time. She tends to always be so full of herself, she giggled and nodded.

"So you just live the same way as me."

"Yeah."