UNIVERSE Special Gift

*Stay

EXO-L POV

In my childhood home, my mother used to keep the family album on top of a shelf in the living room. She used to pull it out when family members would visit, blowing hard on the dusty cover. Her fingers would firmly grip the sides as she approached everyone, a smile plastered on her face. It seemed to say, "I don't regret it."

I haven't seen the book in years, not since I've decided to leave everything behind and make my own path. Of course, it was not that easy and I surely made many mistakes but now, I feel like I can smile like mom.

Life is confusing, at least to me. What is really our purpose? Do we make our choices or do the choices choose us? How long do we have to fight? When to give up? I certainly had these questions coming again and again at the back of my mind for as long as I can remember.

Every year felt like climbing up stairs to an unknown destination. There is nothing special about it at first, since everyone seems to be doing the same you. So you barely give it any attention and carry on. Yet, after some time, you take note of the ache in your knees and your ragged breaths. Then you ask yourself, was it all really necessary...

Not everyone is born to accomplish great things and live a life that would be carved in the stones of History. Everyone is not a Picasso, a Da Vinci, a Beethoven... or an EXO. Some people are just meant to live the life of a leaf; to be born, to be torn and to fade into oblivion. That's right... Even if I disappear, the world will still go on and people will still chase and hurt each other.

Just like you hurt me.

Nothing ever changes for the river and the mountains and the sea. I was soil and I shall return to soil, just like my religion told me.

Then, what we had was for nothing?

It's not like I am hurt about it. I probably actually contributed to my own tragedy... But I do think about the journey. What really comes to mind are the memories, small and bright like petals of the cherry blossom.

No one can say that they have come and walked the world without an ounce of happiness. I am no exception.

What are you trying to say?

I was a child of great imagination, fighting monsters on creased paper and behind doors. I had nothing to fear, since some heroes were there to help me out when things became too overwhelming. And no matter what, I had the sun shinning down on me. With the scars on my arms and legs, I would tilt my head back and look at its crown, smiling because nothing felt wrong.

Then came a time when my princess dresses would get stuck and tear off at the shoulders and so I was forced to move to a new land. There, the monsters were bigger and acted like humans. Still, I would not let them eat me as I stormed through the forest and jumped into lakes. My laughter would echo in the empty space, joined by others. Yes, I had learnt to not get scared of the little bugs hiding in the grass.

It was a blast and even if everyone left once the rain came, I did not feel bad. Why, you would ask me. The answer is actually already in your mind; that's about when I met him.

"So it was then?" I hear on my side.

"You came." I remark, still refusing to pull away from my seat. And he laughs, his voice brushing past me like a winter breeze. It stings a bit and left some kind of aching; I had missed it.

"You bet I'd let you leave without a word." he replies though I had never meant it as a question. There is a pause, one that pulls us back to places we've been trying to avoid before. I can't ignore the bitterness of his tone... "You didn't really make things easy for me, did you?"