A Smoking Illusion

W̥ͦH̥ͦḀͦT̥ͦ H̥ͦḀͦP̥ͦP̥ͦE̥ͦN̥ͦE̥ͦD̥ͦ I̥ͦN̥ͦ T̥ͦH̥ͦE̥ͦ P̥ͦḀͦS̥ͦT̥ͦ

"wнen ι waѕ aвoυт ғιve,

мy parenтѕ нad dιed вecaυѕe

oғ an aѕѕaѕѕιnaтιon.

ι never dιd lιĸe мy parenтѕ тнoυgн

ѕo ιn a way,  ι waѕ glad.

тнey нιт мe,  jυѕт lιĸe yoυr parenтѕ.

ι woυld alwayѕ cry.

and ιт нυrт мe pнyѕιcally

and мenтally."

нe gave мe a вroĸen ѕмιle.

"ι'м ѕυrprιѕed yoυ weren'т even

aѕ мυcн pнaѕed wнen тнey layed

a ғιnger on yoυ. "

мy ѕтoмacн cнυrned.

нearιng a ѕтory oғ anoтнee vιcтιм

ιѕ a вιт нearтвreaĸιng.

"any wнo, мy aѕѕaѕѕιnѕ тooĸ мe ιn

aѕ тнeιr own and тaυgнт мe тнe тrιcĸѕ

on нow тo ĸιll. тнere waѕ one gιrl

wнo waѕ мy age.

ѕнe нad вeen ιn тнaт clan ѕιnce

вιrтн.

ѕнe waѕ вeaυтιғυl.

ѕнe нad deep red нaιr вυт нer eyeѕ

were wнιтe.

noтнιng lιĸe ι've ѕeen вeғore.

wнen we ғιrѕт мeт,

we dιdn'т тalĸ мυcн.

we were acυтally

тoo eмвarraѕѕed тo converѕe

wιтн one anoтнer.

one day ι decιded тo approacн

нer.

ι нeard ғroм ѕoмeone тнaт ѕнe

lιĸed roѕeѕ.

eѕpecιally тнe oneѕ wιтн тнornѕ.

we lιved near ғιeldѕ oғ ғlowerѕ

ѕo мy wнole day,  ι waѕ ѕearcнιng ғor

ιт.

ι ғιnally ғoυnd one

and ι ғιnally нad goттen тнe coυrage

тo тalĸ тo нer.

ι gave нer тнe roѕe

aғтer мany тιмeѕ oғ ѕтυттerιng.

ѕнe ѕмιled.

'мy naмe ιѕ ѕeo-yυn.' ѕнe ѕaιd.

'мy naмe ιѕ ĸyo-мoon. can we

вe ғrιendѕ?' ι aѕĸed.

ѕнe nodded нer нead and

ѕмιled agaιn.

'yeaн! leт'ѕ вe ғrιendѕ!'

over тнe yearѕ,

we нυng oυт тogeтнer.

over тнe yearѕ,  we dιd ѕтυpιd тнιngѕ.

over тнe yearѕ,  ι ғell deeper ιn love.

one day,  oυr rιvalѕ aттacĸed.

we ғoυgнт wιтн all oғ oυr мιgнт.

95% oғ υѕ dιed.

ѕeo-yυn waѕ one oғ тнeм.

ι нad woυnd ιn rιвѕ and

ι coυldn'т мove ғaѕт enoυgн.

ι waѕ aвoυт тo вe ĸιlled

вυт ѕeo-yυn тooĸ тнe нιт

ғor мe.

нer laѕт wordѕ were

'мoonlιgнт. rυn. '

нer voιce waѕ ever ѕo ѕтaιned. "

тearѕ ғell oυт oғ нιѕ eyeѕ.

нιѕ crιeѕ were тнe only noιѕeѕ ιn тнe

rooм.

"yoυ're eye color. "

нe ѕaιd ғιnally.

"eхcυѕe мe?"

"yoυ're eyeѕ looĸed ѕo мυcн

lιĸe нerѕ. тнey looĸed ѕo

мυcн ѕeo-yυn. "

ι lowered мy нead тo тнe ғloor

and clencнed мy ғιѕтѕ.

"wнo dιd тнιѕ?!" ι yelled.

"wнaт?" нe aѕĸed qυιeтly.

"wнo ĸιlled yoυr ғrιend?!"

"тнaт ι cannoт тell yoυ. "

нe ѕтood υp and wιped нιѕ eyeѕ.

"ιт'ѕ ғιne. ι'м ғιne. " нe ѕaιd.

"no,  yoυ're noт. " ι proтeѕтed.

ι gave нιм a тιgнт нυg.

"yoυ woυldn'т вe cryιng ιғ

yoυ were alrιgнт. " ι wнιѕpered.

нιѕ eyeѕ wιdened.

aт тнe rιgнт мoмenт,  тнe

door appeared.

"ι нave тo go now

вυт ι wιll coмe вacĸ

and poѕѕιвly geт тo ĸnow

one anoтнer?"

нιѕ eyeѕ lιт υp wιтн awe

and a нιnт oғ joy.

ι dιdn'т waιт ғor нιѕ reѕponѕe.

ι already ĸnew ιт waѕ

an aвѕolυтe yeѕ.