ink //sooshu

epilogue

sixteen years

soojin had let go of the little girl who lived inside her just a year ago, during a night that only a few knew about

she had run away from home in one way and returned in another, what had led her to the sudden change was a taboo for the adults in her life

well, apart from mr yeh:
he had understood, knew and fully understood the bizarre pain that soojin was carrying around

her friends knew everything and could understand why her sadness, even if not deeply

her parents also tried in every way to understand and perhaps that was exactly what led them to give her a special gift on her sixteenth birthday

soojin had woken up very early that morning, the light was dim but the room and its contents could be recognized

soojin began to observe everything carefully, caught up in the morning silence

then entering the kitchen, she saw something on the table that hadn't been there the day before

a drawing pad and a set of crayons, just like when soojin turned nine

she smiled looking at the blank paper, she wanted to cry but she knew that the girl she loved would never want to see her in that state

somehow the blonde knew shuhua was watching her

mr yeh told her that the flowers in his garden never seemed to wither, as if there was someone keeping them alive for all four seasons

so if her beloved was present at that moment, soojin would not let her down

she began to draw

small eyes and fine eyebrows

small mouth and straight hair

that time she made her smile, with a flower between her hair

it was already lunchtime when she finished

she delicately took the drawing and held it against the light

"hello" her voice was hoarse
"now I know who you are"

the ray of sunlight that illuminated the paper and the birds chirping outside the window made the drawing more alive

"this place smells like you"

no one disposed but soojin imagined the sweet laugh of the portrait

"hello shu"

hello jinjin