「 ⩩ 𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇 Vienna, amidst the bullying at school, crosses paths with a charmingly mysterious thug who swiftly becomes her protector. They both become each other's comfort despite being polar opposites, discovering in each other the hope a...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ˳༄꠶ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
↳ currently playing ;; [ Can't take my eyes off of you ] - [Frankie Vally]
"Come, gentle night; come, loving, black-browed night; Give me my Romeo; and, when I shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night..."
Vienna sat quietly on the rooftop, basking in the warm glow of the setting sun. Her sweet voice filled the entire space as she softly recited her favorite poem.
Beside her, Ni-ki focused intently on perfecting his new dance routine. The gentle breeze caressed the rooftop, playfully rustling the scattered papers and tousling the youths' hair.
Vienna broke the silence, her voice cutting through the quietude. "What do you think of Romeo and Juliet?"
"Pathetic," Ni-ki replied without hesitation.
"Why is that?"
"They gave their lives in the name of love," Ni-ki said dismissively. "I don't get it. They betrayed everything they lived for for a mirage. Love doesn't last forever."
Vienna nodded in agreement. She had never understood the notion of teenage love. With the body going through so many stages, how could anyone truly grasp what love meant, let alone sacrifice their life for it?
The aroma of delicious food from the alley below wafted up to where Vienna and Ni-ki sat, filling the air with the rich scents of steamed pudding, deep-fried sesame rice cakes, and sweet potato pastries.
Vienna looked down, eyes widening with astonishment. "Before I met you, I had no idea Kyoto had a place like this. Mei used to talk about their red bean buns all the time, but we never came here together."
For the first time, she mentioned Mei without the sting of impending tears or the tightening of her throat.
Ni-ki turned his gaze toward her, curious.
Vienna continued, her voice steady despite the emotional weight. "Mei was my best friend."
A heavy silence followed. Ni-ki's confusion was palpable. "Did you guys fight?"
"She... committed suicide."
She hesitated, then added, "It was because of the bullying. Hana and her gang made Mei's life miserable. No one cared about her, so I decided to speak up. But here we are..." She trailed off, the weight of her words hanging in the air.
