the girl sat on the chair at her table as she stared at her phone screen. the orchids were still right there in a corner of the table.
the flower that they called etherea.
she clicked on play as the conversation from last night started to play in bubbles.
last night she didn't go home after work. she didn't drink either even though her hand was carrying a bottle of soju. she was passing by a nursery and she stopped there. the familiar scent of flowers hit her nose. she wondered if it was the same kind of smell heeseung experienced every time he went to that one plant nursery in his world. a warm feeling in her heart bloomed as she kept walking.
"are you looking for any particular plant, ma'am?"
in reply she just shook her head and sat at a bench nearby. "it's beautiful," she complimented.
then she had a long conversation with the only boy she had on the app called steller. she opened bubbles. he was already there. music was played in the background.
the fault in our stars - troye sivan
"hey," she was already smiling.
"god, i missed your voice so much," a sharp feeling in her chest is all she felt.
"i'm here at some nursery. not yours. it's nothing like yours," she said while she scanned the whole nursery once more. "but it's calming. it's nice," he could hear her breathing.
"i- uh- bought a plant today," and she imagined him right in front of her, holding the phone while his eyes met hers. those eyes that smiled.
"what plant?"
"etherea. what else?"
"there are so many other plants. more beautiful and charming, you know," she laughed. but alien,"sn't as usual as it might seem to random strangers passing by. it wasn't out of joy after all.
"not ethereal though," he replied. "remember the first time i told you what these flowers were called? you said they were ethereal."
"hmm."
"seoyun?"
"i'm here, mr alien," she was smiling. no, she really was. except that huge lump she felt in her throat.
"you know... i downloaded steller just because of you."
she couldn't help as her lips curved upward into a smile.
"i'll come visit your world. and you'll take me there. you promised," she whispered as if that was just a secret between them.
"i will. even if the place disappears tonight," he replied from the other line. from the other world.
her heart felt a pang. what did he mean? how could it not?
"you're lying," she chuckled. "i mean you're really good at it. i won't know when you're telling me the truth and when you're lying."
"i'm sorry."
"no."
"i'm s-sorry," she could see him as he turned around, not wanting to face her anymore as he was breaking down.
"the etherea i bought, it was the only one alive," he managed to say.
"i'll pretend you didn't say that."
"you're bad at it though."
"eh, nope."
"you can't beat me."
"watch me."
"i am."
then there was this silence. even the bustling roads and stranger's talks got muted.
"hee," she called him out while she looked up at the sky. the moon was clearly visible. a crescent.
"yes, baby."
"before i called you, i watched the stars. and i believed there was one star that belonged to your universe. a sun to your planet. and i believed it witnessed us all along. and it will connect us somehow. i consoled
now she stood up from the bench. "i quit."
"quit what?" his voice sounded more urgent this time. "what are you talking about, yun?"
"i am not working against you anymore. i quit."
"seoyun?"
she nodded as if he could see her. "how could i continue to do that? us, against each other?" she shook her head as she strolled around the plants.
"heeseung?"
"i quit too."
"huh?"
"hmm. well, you see, my world might not be able to be saved anymore. the damage has been too severe. so what's the point of fighting if you know the ending anyway?" he bittely laughed.
"you'll be alright."
"i will."
"you're not lying..."
this time her eyes couldn't hold back the tears anymore as they fell nonstop.
"remember the first time we talked? i sent you a friend request but i denied it at first. i knew you were mad when you told me you were finding your soulmate," his voice cracked at the end.
"i ended up finding one, though," she replied. "they say, your soulmate is not someone you are bound to have your forever with but rather they are someone you are bound to meet. at least once in your lifetime," she sighed. "maybe in my case, that's true."
"even if your soumate is from another world..."
"at least we met."
and then the girl abruptly paused the player.
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