Butterfly [j.jk]

사십사

비밀

in the midst of a colorful breeze, the trees dancing to a bright sky, blooms swaying in the meadows, they had thought the beguiling days of spring were still aplenty. oh how gullible they were.

summertime arrives fast, ushering through the air with its warm breeze. echoes of spring melodies sing farewell, and a warmth encapsulates the town. a summer masterpiece painted across the skies.

alas, summertime had arrived.

sounds of flutters endlessly fill the frame. heavy steps trudge along the soiled path, walking over the vestiges of spring and a downcast heart beats with each step. though the warmth engulfs her, her face remains ruffled in the summer heat.

with an abrupt stop, she turns around, "can you stop following me?!" her expression still scrunched, her gaze locks with a familiar face. wings of red fluttering in place. another red admiral.

it was a butterfly entailed with secrets. and upon crossing paths with it several times, each encounter becomes more unsettling than the last. if only it was all her hallucination; it would've been better that way. but if there was one thing nari was sure of, it was that the butterflies never lie.

and so, "what secret is jeongguk hiding?" she turned to the red admiral, as if it would know the troubled boy's concerns. the thought would only flourish her frustration. it was the most dismayed nari had been, and seemingly jeongguk too.

in the past few weeks, he had grown quiet. constantly deep in his thoughts, drowned into a world of his own. for a moment she thought she saw a glimpse of the old him, the gloomy one, her heart sunk. and day by day, the pit in her stomach grows deeper.

but why was the red admiral now following nari, not jeongguk? is there perhaps more secrets than she thought?

what other secrets did it bear beneath its crimson wings?

those wings of red dances still across her face, fluttering in place, sharing a knowing gaze. "why are you looking are you looking at me like that?" hands to her hips, she asks. but to no response, of course.

"can't i worry for a friend?" her steps slowly continue, and the butterfly follows. "i just don't wish to see him down like that. i care a lot about him. seeing him smile, makes me smile. seeing him blue breaks my heart. and so to see him crumble back into god knows what, i just-- it pains me..."

the butterfly remains, as she tramples deep in her thoughts, lost in a maze of her emotions.

"downing in his blues alone. it hurts me to see the person whom i love unhappy. it's just--" with that her steps come to a halt. did she hear herself correctly?

she turns around and to see the red admiral already fluttering away, along with her heartfelt feelings.

her secret, which nari herself didn't even know, was out. and with that so did the red admiral.

nari had feelings for jeongguk.

for a moment, the world stops. her heart beats, and a smile graces upon her lips, to where she couldn't control it anymore. she could feel all the flowers bloom and hear all the birds sing. even the skies cheered for her and the sun smiled, beaming upon her.

should i tell him, or not? she gazes at the boy's door left ajar, she endlessly pondered at the thought.

and without much thought, "have you seen jeongguk?" she asks, seeing her aunt by the counter. the old lady giggles, "i believe he's at the garden." she replies. nari mutters a little thank you and readies to dash out the door. the little girl amused her, more so their friendship, that like a flower, blossomed into something oh so lovely.

"what a shame... i bet you'd miss him a bunch when he sets back to seoul..." the woman mutters lowly with a sigh. but audible enough for her tracks to come to a hasty halt. she looks back at her aunt, eyes, thoughts, and heart puzzled. "what?.."

"has he not told you?" she asks, her face reciprocating a baffled gaze. just then a sigh escapes her chest. "a few days from now, jeongguk has to go back to seoul."

and as those forsaken words leave her lips, just then the familiar visitor, dancing wings of a red admiral returns, fluttering by the windowsill. nari's fragile heart, that was more fragile than she deemed, shatters.

it was true, butterflies don't lie.