#orbitum

age 12.

everything about the island screams traditions, it’s only normal they would have their own. areum and chunhwa walk to their spot at the beach hand in hand, smiling to the neighbors who they pass by. there they go, it’s what everyone says, these two are attached by the hip.

they sit down and areum rests her head on the curve of chunhwa’s neck, looking at the sky as they wait. “i don’t want to go back home.” she whispers, the wind carrying her words away. the festival always happens during the last week of summer, which means her time there is ending and she will have to go another year without chunhwa. it always feels like an eternity.

chunhwa understands, she always does.

“you’ll come back next year. it’s not long.” she says, but she means it’s too long without you.

they watch the fireworks in silence and areum cries.

age 15.

she is not wearing dresses anymore.

this time areum wears shorts and a top, something she says it’s what her friends back home are wearing. chunhwa wouldn’t know.

areum leaves some distance between them as they sit down and even in the dim light chunhwa can see it, a purple mark on her neck left by some boy she doesn’t know the name of – neither does areum, actually. can you believe this? areum had asked when she caught chunhwa staring. idiot, got me into a lot of trouble with my parents.

the fireworks start, but chunhwa is looking at her friend, feeling like a stranger.

“isn’t it beautiful?” areum asks, the eyes of a child as she looks up.

“yes.” but chunhwa isn’t looking at the fireworks.

age 18.

chunhwa sits by herself, watching the explosions in the sky. she doesn’t know what areum is doing back in her home town, has no idea if they have summer festivals there too.

even if they do areum wouldn’t care, she thinks.

age 23.

“what are you doing?”

chunhwa stops, confused. “sitting.” she points to her usual spot.

“nah,” areum smiles, something in it makes chunhwa shiver. areum points in front of her stretched legs. “sit here.”

“i don’t think-”

“stop that, there’s no one around, come on.” areum gestures to her and chunhwa can’t do anythign about it. she sits in between areum’s legs and instantly feels the other hug her, lean her cheek against chunhwa’s shoulder blade before fitting her chin on the curve of her shoulder. “that’s better.”

chunhwa doesn’t say anything, only leans back in areum’s arms, relaxing. “if someone sees us...”

“i don’t give a fuck.” areum nozzles her nose on chunhwa’s neck. “and neither should you. and now let’s watch it.” 

they watch the fireworks in silence, chunhwa’s thumbs tracing circles on areum’s hands. “isn’t it beautiful?”

“yes.”