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"Arle!" "Huh? I told you not to call me that." Marion scolded Hyun-Ae for that nickname for the umpteenth time that afternoon.
Hyun-Ae just smiled brightly, holding something behind her back.
"Sorry, sorry. I got something for you!" Her grin was as blinding as the sun as she revealed a bouquet of red flowers.
Instinctively, Marion recoiled. "You shouldn't be picking them..." She tried to remain calm with relative success.
"Angelfish, come here!" Rayne called from afar, causing Hyun-Ae to just shove the bouquet in Marion's hands and run off to join the other.
Marion glared at the flowers, crushing them in her palms, the petals withering away in her grip.
"Marion. Look at what I got!" Aryn, Rayne's brother motioned to her later that day as they sat by the river that weaved through their cage.
"What is it?" Marion walked over, blankly as always, staring at whatever Aryn was clutching in his hands.
As he revealed his palms to her, inside was a small ring, made with one of the red flowers.
"Here." He offered, but of course, Marion vehemently declined. "I don't really like wearing stuff like that." She reasoned, and Aryn backed off as Marion waded into the river alongside Hyun-Ae and Rayne.
Rayne pushed Marion into the water before showering her in praise regarding how pretty she looked despite being soaked.
Rayne rambled about stuff Marion couldn't piece together.
Why can she still act like that when Marion tore their entire lives apart.?
Rayne was cuddled up to Hyun-Ae that night, according to Hyun-Ae the following morning. Marion's heart flickered in hesitation as she dismissed herself away from the rose quartz before her.
"Mari? Hey, Mari!" Hyun-Ae could only call as Marion could only run to find Rayne, finding her talking with some other kid she didn't bother talking to.
"Rayne, a moment?" Marion didn't wait for a response as she dragged her away to a desolate spot of the garden. Away from those pesky flowers, away from prying eyes.
"Yes, Marine?" She smiled, and Marion felt oddly agitated. They weren't kids anymore. They were adults. Marion was about 21 while Rayne was 19, her birthday having already passed. Hyun-Ae as well was 18, herself...
"I..." Marion hesitated before tightly wrapping her arms around Rayne, as though trying to consume her whole.
"I don't get it. Why can you still look at me that way when you already know what I'm going to do?" She almost yelled against the flesh of her skin.
Rayne didn't respond, and Marion didn't move.
"I want you to spoil me, just this once." Marion whispered after a moment.
After a while, Marion lay in the grass next to Rayne, her hair being played with, her hand being held...
A comfort that Marion hadn't felt in a long time. They stayed like that for what would have been hours if it wasn't for Hyun-Ae and Aryn who had temporarily teamed up to find them.
Marion was fast asleep but Rayne just got up, making her location apparent before settling back down beside Marion.
When she woke up, it was stuffy and warm. Marion couldn't breathe yet when she realized it, Hyun-Ae was tightly hugging her. Aryn had rolled off to the side.
Rayne was sitting up with Marion's head in her lap.
"Next time, you should spoil me like this." She smiled brightly.
Marion gently pushed Hyun-Ae off of her as the faux sun had begun to set. Marion gently held Rayne's cheek in her hand and stared for a moment.
"I'm sorry." She whispered but Rayne didn't mind, only slightly closing the distance, hovering a mere inch away from Marion.
When Marion blushed out of embarrassment, Rayne giggled and kissed her forehead.
"You have nothing to be sorry for. I made this choice for myself." She soothed before Hyun-Ae muttered something about fish, clearly sleep talking.
This was a good memory for Marion. One where she didn't always have to be so on guard around people. Hyun-Ae is dead but... Marion finds herself reminiscing on that same night.