prism [ kim s.j ] ( fin )

† 60

     "hey kyu!"

     his heart hit his ribs, ears pinching his head to turn — two girls hugged and walked away, making a trail of boisterous laughter and cute snorts.

     jin felt happy — he knows she's happy now, where ever she is.

     sunday mornings are his favourite mornings. coffee beans were ground, fruit coloured the pathway, clothes swayed in the cool early morning breeze, trinkets cheered, jewellery winked at women passing by and carefree chats liven up the air. the sun was still to peek, petrichor clinging on to his clothes.

     it's been two weeks since kyu's second death anniversary.

     with a heavy heart and a basket of his usual order — grown rainbows, as what the vendor calls them — he sets of to the stones through the rust-rubbing gate. it's been a while since he came here; promotions of his group's album was going strong. at least the manager gave him some time to visit.

     "morning soo kyu," he smiled, settling down in front of her headstone. "morning ma'am, sir... uncle."

     he cleaned their headstones — the rosy-pink couple stones of kyu's parents, mr joon's dark marble stone and kyu's snow white stone. he made sure hers was next to her mother's; it would be nice to have her child next to her, she didn't have the time to see how pretty she is.

     is. and will always be.

park soo kyu

born 15.01.93

died 14.11.16

a lovely friend, daughter, niece and fiancé

the prism that showed the rainbow

     with his eyes closed, he savoured the gleam of the sun from the trees, a gentle kiss.

     "uhm, hello? mister?"

     a stranger greeted him, a nervous smile on her lips and fiddly fingers around a familiar fabric. a scarf. one of soo kyu's trinkets.

     "you left it at the store," she continued, her stockings grey and spotted. "you don't visit that often, so i decided to - uhm - give it back."

     "oh..."

     she walked away from the asphalt, to the crunching grass, and gave his scarf back.

     "thank you."

     "it's no big deal. i could have just kept it until you realised so you can come back to the flower shop..."

     he hasn't seen a bright smile from someone as bright as hers, and it startled him for a minute. he felt a beat. faster. faster. it aches. the crinkles under her eyes were cute, adorable.

     "well, have a nice day."

     she bowed out of respect, then she left.

     as she wound down the hill, he saw a speck of blue swirl around her. a butterfly.

"please take care of it, jin."

     her last request buzzed in him.

     the girl left, but he made sure to come back to that flower shop.

     as time flew, dandelion flowers sprout around their stones again, the breeze light and cool.

     as time flew, he found colour again.

     when jin found his colour, kyu found her peace.