Summer Break In Japan

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Mina was a quiet girl, she loved reading and spending time in nature. People were not really her thing, she only had a couple of friends she occasionally hung out with. But when her beloved grandmother asked her to keep company to the foreign granddaughter of her best ever friend, she could not deny. ⁣

Jeongyeon was loud, Mina noticed the first time they met, but obedient. The older would just follow her around whenever she went out, barely complaining. It could have been because her Japanese was not as good and she was embarrassed, although she definitely was not the person to be embarrassed. Like ever.⁣

Their whole summer was the same; an afternoon walk from their block until the town center, a stop at the local library, and later resting under the huge cherry blossom tree and silently enjoying the comfort of the books they picked up at the library — more like she, Mina was the only one interested in reading — Jeongyeon was just there. She usually looked around, tapping her feet to silly beats.⁣

Today was one of those days, however Jeongyeon was painfully quiet. Her head rested on her hands as she silently watched Mina's face features contour at whatever she was reading. The brunette, of course, did not notice Jeongyeon's behavior nor the way she held herself back, trying to keep her mouth shut.⁣ It seemed like there was something she needed to let out.

Night was approaching, yet the sounds of the busy town had not halted down one  bit. Jeongyeon's favorite frozen yogurt shop just across the street was about to close for the day, meaning she soon had to be home to her grandmother. The cheerful man walking out of his shop to go back to his beautiful daughters was the sign Jeongyeon had to look out for, the one that reminded her yet another day had passed. ⁣

"Mina-chan," the brunette hated when the older called her that "I have to go."⁣

The yogurt shop had closed. Jeongyeon's grandmother was waiting. Besides, tomorrow was a big day.⁣

"Okay." Mina nodded, shyly shaking her head when Jeongyeon offered her hand so she could stand up.⁣

Awkwardness. Jeongyeon bit her lip as she hesitated to say something, looking anywhere but Mina. Said girl was waiting for the older to do something, anything that indicated she was not brain dead. For some reason, Mina noticed, Jeongyeon had been acting oddly the past week.⁣

"Bye." was all she mumbled, bowing before disappearing out of sight.⁣

Mina did bother not much, she would see her again tomorrow after all. ⁣

"They left?" the next morning the brunette's soft voice sounded from across the house and to the kitchen, where her grandmother prepared soup.⁣

Turns out, Mina would not see Jeongyeon today. ⁣

"Yes, the girl was only here for summer break and left with her grandmother this morning," the woman spoke, struggling to hold her hand still as she added some salt into the pot "My dear friend has been very weak lately. They're taking her back home."⁣

Mina sighed, pressing her lips on her grandmother's forehead before helping her with the salt and urging her to sit down.⁣

"I never understood why she moved here all by herself, without having someone to take care of her." the elder lady turned to her granddaughter, squeezing her arm as she smiled "Maybe they'll be back next summer."⁣

But they were not. The house across of Mina's grandmother was abandoned, all furniture still inside and the way Jeongyeon left them before taking her dear grandmother back to their home, Suwon, in South Korea. ⁣

Mina would take care of the garden when she felt like it, but by the time summer came around again she was way too occupied by burying herself in romance and adventure novels.⁣

"I'll be back for dinner!" the brunette shouted, closing the door behind her and walking to the library. Her summer break routine had not changed much, only Jeongyeon and her favorite frozen yogurt shop that ran out of business were missing.⁣

The cherry blossoms had bloomed already, though this summer Mina's favorite tree looked as if it had not passed a day since it's blooming. It was just as pretty and full, barely losing any petals like it usually did around that time. It created the prefect shadow when the hot sun casted its beams over town. The cherry blossom was like a shield, the sounds of traffic did not bother Mina much anymore. She was calm.

That until the sound of someone walking closer to her made her ears perk up, eyes looking up to meet the person who had disturbed her reading with their loud sniffles and steps as their heels purposely hit on the ground in order to release some tension. ⁣

Mina found herself dropping the book in her hands and jumping on her feet, brows furrowing when looking at the figure dressed in black, in their hands cherry blossom petals.⁣

"Jeongyeon-san?" she was crying. Mina did not know why her heart clenched at the sight. ⁣

Jeongyeon sniffled, the words she wanted to tell Mina since last summer almost slipping out. But she could not let herself do it, not now. It was too early to let herself fall, she had to pick herself up first.⁣

"She died," the older rasped "My grandma died."⁣

Mina's reaction was very unlike of her. Never in her life had she felt the need to hold someone close. Never in her life had she felt like she could cry because of some stranger's pain.⁣

But, maybe, Jeongyeon was not a stranger. Not anymore.⁣

And when Mina hugged her, whispering words of comfort in her ear, Jeongyeon wanted to freeze time. Stay in her arms for eternity.

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