The Baker's Daughter | satzu

16 | it doesn't matter

T Z U Y U

"So this is your favourite place, huh?" I smiled as the field full of fireflies lit up.

Sana nodded, and I could sense that both of us were still tense from the event that happened earlier on in the day.

"You know...I didn't mean to say what I said, Tzu." She apologised. "I just kinda forgot that we're not at the point where I can tease you about stuff—not that the things I said weren't wrong, because they definitely were."

I let out a sigh as I gently caught a firefly with my right hand, and opened it slowly, revealing a green piercing light.

"I know." I told her. "You don't have much experience when it comes to the working class. All you know how to deal with is the rich billionaire extravagants."

I could feel her frowning as she squatted down onto the green grass, patting it down. She then turned around and lay on it, eyes closed, as if she had no other care in the world.

I continued standing up, my eyes diverting away from the fireflies to the girl.

And I don't know why, but she suddenly seemed like an angel in the split second I looked at her.

"Tzuyu." She suddenly called, and I turned my head away as if I hadn't been staring at her. "Lie down next to me."

My face began to heat up as I made space to lie down next to her.

I could hear her softly breathing, and the buzzing of the fireflies in the background, along with the chirps of crickets from afar.

"This...is nice." I commented, closing my eyes, drowning out the sounds of the world for a quick second. "No wonder why this is your favourite place."

"It's stupid, huh." She seemed to say, as if she were rejecting what I had just mentioned before.

"What do you mean?"

A soft silence came between us, and I couldn't help but wonder if she had some troubles.

Of course she had troubles, else she wouldn't be here next to you, dumbass.

Her hand seemed to touch the sky as she pretended to reach for it...

and grab it with full force.

"It's pretty ironic how this is my favourite place, don't you think?"

I shook my head as if she could see my movements.

"Of course you don't think it's stupid." She let out a small chuckle. "But I haven't told you why this is my favourite place. May I?"

"Go on, we have all the time in the world—at least until 7:30." I laughed.

"Yeah." She paused for a moment. "It's ironic how this is my favourite place because...

"My dad was the one who brought me here."

I looked at her, and she turned to look at me. Her eyes seemed to say, 'You're confused, aren't you?' and to be frank, she wasn't wrong.

"I wasn't born rich. Of course, I was born with a decent amount of money. My dad had a good business going on, selling goods and stuff—not illegal goods, of course—and we were fine.

"One day, he decided to take me to this place.

"He called it, the peace garden.

"And I could see why he called it that. It's so far away from the motorway that the only vehicles you can hear are the occasional sounds of a motorbike crossing the bridge down there.

"And I loved it so much.

"We played around for a bit, and he sat me down for a while, to rest.

"He then asked me,

"Sana, what would you do if you had 1 trillion won?

"And I answered,

"I'd give it to you and mummy, daddy!

"He smiled at me and said,

"I'm glad you put us first. I'll give you everything you deserve.

"The next day, I saw his face everywhere on the news and on the papers that his company had blown up, and had made so much profit.

"Coincidence? Maybe yes, maybe no, maybe so. But I'll never forget that night. That's why I call this place, 'The Luck of the Fireflies'.

"Stupid, I know." She chuckled, her laugh fading away as she continued staring at the stars.

"It's not stupid." I answered. A ruffle in the grass told me that she had turned her head to look at me. "I do think fireflies are lucky. Why don't we both make a wish?"

"Sure."

And we both closed our eyes as we said a few words under our breaths.

I don't know how long we talked after that, but it sure felt so short.

At least, until I got a call for Minsoo.

"They're looking for Sana now!"

And the last thing I remember is her kissing me on the cheek, saying 'Thank you for today, Tzu', and running off.

And I know my smile wasn't as genuine as I hoped it to be.