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"you have a soul, doctor. you are a soul.
you have a body temporarily."

— Walter M. Miller Jr. —

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[ 3RD PERSONS VIEW。]

The darkened hair boy waited patiently outside the convenience store as his two friends, plus his cousin insisted to buy some snacks before heading to Renjun's place. Arms secured in front of him, gazing at the birds settled onto some old tree branches.

A smile curved up his lips, remembering how Haruki liked to point out different types of birds– she always envied how free they seemed. That made him think for a bit, if Haruki envied their freedom, did that mean she didn't have her own?

Almost every day hanging out with Haruki and the boys, Chenle never really noticed, unless it was a different type of freedom she was talking about.

Maybe, Haruki felt trapped inside her and they were just too oblivious to notice it. But then again, there were short stories Haruki would always tell them. About her mother and father- no, they weren't separated, from what she said before, her father had to leave due to his business, however, perhaps another reason why was Haruka.

They were too engrossed with keeping Haruka away from them that to Haruki, it no longer felt like a family.

Chenle sighed deeply, looking up from the ground. As he did, he caught a familiar dark brown-haired girl walking down the streets.

Wearing nothing but black clothing as her head was tilted down, staring at the cement pavement. As she neared him, his hand urged to move, wanting to call her and say hello, but was it okay to do so?

Looking around, not many people were really outside. It was Saturday and everyone would most likely stay in or wake up later.

"Haruka!" he called out, the said girl looking up immediately, a noticeably shocked expression laid on her face.

To Haruka, it was a bit surprising that someone had talked to her– and that someone happened to be one of Haruki's beloved friend. The shock washing away quickly, replaced by a blank face.

"Chenle." she bobs her head, not really sure why he had called for her.

A sincere smile tugged up the corner of his lips as he waved at her, "Are you out for a walk?" he casually asks a question, gesturing towards their surroundings.

Haruka looked around, eyeing the simple structures that laid in front of them. A few open shops, street vendors, sounds of trees rustling through the gush of wind as sweet chuckles from children that stood outside the windows. In her view, she knew Haruki would've loved to see this.

How peaceful and calm it felt, being with the ones you love and cherish, it was enough to satisfy her twin sister– Haruki's liking.

Haruka had a faint smile on her lips as she averted her gaze back onto Chenle, "Not really, I just... stopped by mother's shop. That's all."

Chenle hummed in acknowledgment, fingers lacing together as he saw his friends already by the counter paying. "Are you going to walk home?"

Haruka nodded simply and he grinned, "How about you tag along with us?"

Blinking, completely stunned by his sudden offer. Not that Haruka didn't like it, she appreciated it, so much, that for once in her whole entire life, someone showed at least some care for her.

The little heartwarming moment didn't stop there, the door to the convenience store opens as Jisung, Jaemin, and Lihua walks out with a few paper bags filled with the snacks they had bought.

Jisung noticed Haruka right away and smiled brightly at her, eyes gleaming as he waved his ice cream popsicle, "Haruka!" he beamed, sounding a bit muffled as he had bitten a huge portion of his popsicle.

Jaemin was still uncomfortable but tried his best to shove away that feeling, grabbing a popsicle from the paper bag, "Here," he hands it over to her, the girl eyeing it before taking it shortly.

"Thank you," she softly replied, a faint smile on her lips as she opened the packaging.

Lihua laced an arm around her, making her flinch and nearly drop the popsicle.

"Lihua!" Chenle lightly scolded, narrowing eyes at her making his cousin shoot him a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, H-Haruka." she apologized, retracting her arm.

Haruka tilts her head, sending her a quick smile, "No worries."

"Haruka's going to walk with us, is that okay?" Chenle questioned and everyone was quite chill about it. Haruka was waiting for any complaints, but to her surprise, there were none.

The walk to Haruka and Renjun's neighborhood was rather quick as it was just nearby. Eventually, the quiet atmosphere that surrounded them during the first few steps dispersed, now they were rambling about different topics as Haruka only listened– finding it amusing that they find similarities within each other.

Chenle walked beside her as he engaged a conversation with Jisung who was rather talkative than what she had imagined. Remembering Haruki's descriptions for each of them, it did come to her senses that Haruki said something about Jisung and Chenle, that both were cute and a truly inseparable duo.

Reaching their street, Haruka quickened her pace and headed to their gate, "Thanks for offering–"

Her words were cut off by Jaemin who shrugged it off, "Don't mind it, Haruka. After all, we're all friends... I mean- you do consider us your friends, right?"

Friends? That word ran in her mind again. All she ever called them was "Haruki's friends" and that's it. She never saw them as her friends, however, seeing them as not only Haruki's friends but hers as well felt different– new, rather.

"Friends..." she presses her lips together and slowly nodded, "If you consider me as your friend..."

Chenle chuckled, also nodding his head, "Of course! Let's be friends, okay?"

"Okay," she said before waving her hand.

"We'll see you again, Haruka!" Lihua bids goodbye before running towards Renjun's gate after Jisung stole her bag of chips.

Haruka entered their house, walking towards the grand piano that settled downstairs since her mother wasn't present anyways.

Her fingers began to dance against the black and white piano keys, this time, no longer did her music scream agony and sorrow– it instead sounded joyous and colorful.

Sounds of music flowing around her as she closed her eyes, enjoying the pure sound of Kreisler Love's Joy. The way her heart lightened as she played the piano, music conveying what she felt like.

The house next door heard classical piano music coming from the Choi's house. A smile etched on Chenle's face as he closed his eyes, allowing himself to get lost in her music.

"Now that sounded different from her usual storytelling music with the pain and heartaches gone..." he trailed off quietly, staring out the window.

He leaned back onto the couch, "It sounds like a girl dancing in a field of flowers– nothing but joy residing in her heart."

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