where have you been?

Rena frowns as Chenhan taps her shoes uncanny, hands in her lap as I sit on the bed. Chenhan loudly roars a groan, causing the female to flinch. "What were you thinking?! Seeing father when you could've risked another panic attack, another faint, another-"

"But I didn't," Rena responds cheekily, my eyes widening in shock. How could she say that to Chenhan? The girl giggles, Chenhan also in disbelief. Rena's hands clasp together, praying to Chenhan. "C'mon, sister! Let's be honest. If anything were to happen, Jungwon would've called you first. Plus, I was attached to my wheelchair the whole time! I brought my IV, and that's all that matters."

"You're just lucky mother didn't find out!" Chenhan snaps, causing Rena to pout. "I had to tell the security guard to delete footage so that mother wouldn't go off chasing Jungwon down and beating him ten feet into the ground! She would've hit you too, if not for the fatal state you're in!"

"But Chenhan, I-" Someone knocks at the door, causing the two to stop bickering. Rena clears her throat, turning her wheelchair away from her sister and rolling towards me. "Come in!"

A nurse enters, Chenhan raising an eyebrow as nothing is in her hands. She laughs awkwardly, waving. "Sorry. Someone wants to see Jungwon, currently. He says to meet him at the hospital roof."

My eyebrow raises, especially when I don't know anybody by the pronoun of he that hasn't betrayed my trust and wanted to see me again. So, I nod, turning to Rena. She's easily worried, but I pat her head and walk out. Who knows, if the nurse didn't interrupt the quarrel, I probably would've gotten the lecture from Chenhan as well. She'll give it to me when I get back, maybe.

As I climb up the stairs, I take my time. My mind scatters for anybody that I may know that wants to see me at this moment: Sunghoon and I have been long gone, our friendship crumbling like the celestial stars that die. So who could want to speak with me? I stop on the fifth-floor platform, finally, my head resonates the aura that I may just be correct. The cherry blossoms.

Sim Jaeyun.

Then, I start to sprint, running up the stairs as I aim for that man who's never wanted to speak with me since Sunwoo's death. I almost slip on a few stairs as I try to skip a few, finally making it to the roof as I slam the door open. With every bit of my heart, I was correct: It was Sim Jaeyun. The older slowly turns around, eyes flickering as he looks at me briefly, then returning to his previous position that faces the open sky. I stroll up to him, gulping as I shove my hands into my coat pockets. Slowly yet surely, I'm beside him.

"It's getting cold recently, isn't it?" Jaeyun says, allowing me to nod. "I hope you've been okay. I've thought about you recently."

"Is recently the past few years? Or recently as the day, I went to Sunwoo's grave?" I question. Jaeyun chuckles, looking down at the floor. "I... I don't love her anymore. Maybe Sunghoon told you about the day we fought, about what happened, but I can tell you from my perspective, there are no lingering feelings of regret and romance."

"I didn't expect you to, Jungwon. Hearing from Sunghoon that you chose a carbon copy of Sunwoo as your next crush, I was baffled at first. I was thinking "she's dead. Is he still hung on the fact Sunwoo's dead?" but after hearing your spiral, I realize that you weren't the only one mourning over Sunwoo. I didn't realize how much damage had been done until I read her letter to me. We always somehow mess up big time, don't we?"

"No," I say briefly, not allowing him to take the blame. His head slowly turns, his hair brushed by the cold wind. I can't look at him, not yet. "Don't blame yourself for something that is out of your control. Jaeyun, don't you ever think, too, that Sunwoo was going to die eventually?"

"Huh?"

"All the signs, they were there. Even if they were obvious, even if we knew she had those feelings... she'd still inevitably die. I had no reason of finding that out until I met the ghost of her at the grave. Whether it be paranormal or in my head, I realized there was more to than just us for the reason of her death. She's filled with regret, guilt, blame. Sunwoo was more than a flower. Sure, she was beautiful on the outside. However, on the inside, she was waiting to fall off the branch and lay dormant. She was always going to."

"But... why are you telling me this?" Jaeyun questions softly, and finally, I find myself staring at him. His face hasn't grown at all, his eyes widening as his pupils dilate. "It's true, though, I'm still in love with her."

"That's why, Jaeyun," It's the first time I've ever said his name aloud, in a way that didn't seem to provoke. "I want you to be happy too. For the first time in my life, I've never felt happier than I was with her. She taught me new things, she taught me how to love again. She told me that things were to happen for a reason, that we shouldn't be left astray by death because it was all going to happen inevitably. Jaeyun, we can't beat ourselves up for it. If Sunwoo was still here, she'd tell you that too. Though we aren't friends, I just... don't want to see you upset and numb again."

His stare radiates. Our hearts synchronized through the situation we met and couldn't control. If we met differently, possibly we could've been friends. He's a nice person, he looks like one. Though I wish nothing but good for him, I wonder what it would've been like if Sunwoo was still alive, with him, as I am with Rena. I wonder if that would truly be the regaining of happiness for all four of us. "I wish you the best, Jaeyun," I smile, nodding at him. "Find a new flower, and take care of it."

I turn around, ready to stroll away. Jaeyun stops me as he yells: "What kind of flower... is Rena to you?"

I pause, smiling to myself before I turn my face barely to the left; just enough to see him, I respond. "She isn't a flower. She's more of a tree, maybe. These days, I like trees, because you have to take care of flowers so diligently. With her, I'm watching her grow by herself. I just help her now and then."

I bow my head slightly, waving goodbye. As I enter into the stairwell again, the wind escaping from the outside in, I see Rena smiling at me from the eleventh-floor platform. I widen my eyes, watching her cheeky look as she sits up. "I'm a tree, huh? I guess I'm growing with your guidance then. I like that anomaly, actually! Me being a cherry tree, getting grown by my caretaker who-"

"Quiet," I say, leaning down and grabbing her chin. She widens her eyes, head tilted as I smirk softly. "Aren't trees not able to talk?"

"Wh-" I kiss her, her eyes widening larger than I've ever seen them before. However, her hands flutter around my neck, eyelids sinking closed as she reciprocates the feeling of love. Though she may not be the beautiful flower I thought she was, she's a tree with the wisdom that affects the way people live. She helps people breathe, helps people live a life that they never thought they could.

And that includes me.

"I love you, Rena," I whisper, leaving her lips. She blinks, watching me through her wide-eyed pupils. "Can we finally be that love you tell me about? The one with the cherries, the one that's not a flower... but a fruit?"

She rolls her eyes, pushing me away. "You're so cheesy! How do you remember that?" She questions, but all I could do was laugh in response. She stares up at me, 'hmph'ing before beckoning me closer. "Alright, loser. I guess... we could give it a try."

I'm exhilarated, jumping as I gasp. "You promise?! Don't go back on your word!"

"I won't!"

"Oh my god, I can't believe you'd say that. Never would I thought the Liu Rena, would take the Yang Jungwon's love proposal, and-"

"Shut up!"

Finally, I have no regrets. I've reached my redemption, for all of us. 

Including you, Sunwoo. Rest peacefully, you beautifully, withered blossom.