Author's POV

Sinon's walk to school wasn't that peaceful as she intended. Especially, now that V figured out that his house was just across hers, he followed her everywhere she goes subliminally. She sometimes sees him from afar, watching her like a ghost, and in summarization, he drives her crazy, and not in a good way.

In school, he'd talk to her as if she's a close friend of his and then reverts to being shy and timid.

And what's worse....

It all happened yesterday.

Hopefully, he won't follow her to the cemetery.

Sinon traipsed among the dead grass, a bundle of fresh lavenders in her grasp she just picked from a patch of different kinds of flowers on the way. She passed mossy headstones, protruding in an array pattern. The sky was filled with dark, dense clouds, threatening to drop gallons of water onto the small city where she lived.

A cemetery is a place which everyone feared, because of childhood stories about haunted graveyards, and zombies rising from their tombs. As for Sinon, she considered this place her happy place.

She crouched down on the farthest headstone with Min's full name engraved in it's face, and placed her disarrayed bundle of flowers in front of it. She didn't feel like saying a few words bout how she misses her, about how she loves her. She didn't felt like it was necessary. Her best friend already knew that anyways.

Her gravestone was in the cemetery, though, her body is not. It was still in the care of her aunt, undergoing postmortem examination. They said that they'll call her once they knew the cause of her death. But, why bother investigate? Her aunt already said very clearly that her illness is genetic, the general cause of her sister's death. Officials still won't believe her and if I didn't fully know her, I would be the same as them. How could anyone believe her? She's an obscene nanny, who smokes for her age. She'd be considered repulsive the moment you take a look at her.

Cold wind blew threw her raven locks, blowing out dried leaves in the process, creating a loud swishing sound, almost as if someone's behind her. She was right, someone was definitely behind her.

She inwardly cursed and whipped her head back, facing a tall man.

"What do you want?" She asked in brusque way, causing him to flinch, looking at the ground while fidgeting.

"W-well, it's not like I'm following you," he stated with pink tinted cheeks. "I-it's just that my mother is buried here too, before we moved to Daegu, and I thought I could maybe visit her. A-and don't worry I'm not a stalker."

"Fine. Just don't talk to me." She stood up, brushing of leaves and lavender petals from her lap. She headed towards the rusty gate of the cemetery, until hearing his stammering voice. She stopped in her tracks, refusing to face him.

"W-wait!" He called back as crumpling of leaves was heard inching towards her, then stopped.

"I saw a swing by the lake near the forest when I was exploring, and saw your name engraved on the tree where it was hanging along with another name." He said.

Sinon's jaw clenched. The swing she and Min made years ago with a rope and wood they found lying around in the forest.

"What's your point?" She spat crudely.

He reached his arm on the back of his neck shyly and avoided eye contact, especially with that glare of hers.

"I just wanted to ask permission to use it." A smile crept to his face. "It's been a while since I played in a swing."

Her eyebrow creased curiously. A grown man wanting to play in a swing was unusual even for Sinon, who spent seven years with an energetic alien.

"And may I ask, who is Min?" He added, but Sinon paid no attention to his last question and just walked away. This is way beyond her intended motive to stay away from people, even so much as to talk to them, she promised to make no connections. Look where it has gotten her. Being left alone.

She scoffed and looked away. "Do whatever you want." She clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"Oh, by the way...." her voice added lowly, slowly looking back at him.

"Mind your own business would'ya. Don't you even have the slightest clue that I don't want you around, so as much as possible, stay away from me. I hate people like you...."

Then she left, her figure disappearing among the grayish haze of the graveyard, contented that she made herself clear. Hope that his mind could process that.

~•~

Sinon's POV

I grudgingly stomped through the dark streets of my small neighborhood with clenched fists and a tightened jaw.

Why does he keep going near me?

Am I not dressed properly?

Do I even look approachable?

I rubbed my aching temples and continued walking. I walked up the steps of our front porch and kicked the door open.

I slammed the door close using my feet and went straight to the kitchen. I grabbed a bottle of root beer and slumped in the couch, my father beside me casually reading a newspaper as if nothing happened.

"From what I remember, you already had your period last week." He said peering at the small calendar as I raised my eyebrow. He folded his newspaper and placed it on the drawer just beside the couch. He slackened his posture and rested his hands on the backs of his head with his legs crossed.

"So, what's with the mood swings, sweetie."

"Life sucks, that's why." I deadpanned and brought eight bottles of root beer from the freezer to the backyard. As expected, it was pitch black, only the the colorful circle with a small red dot on the middle, with knives of different sizes was stuck on the trunk. It was all that I was able to make out. I painted that a few years back, so when I was stressed, I'd threw kitchen knives and won't stop until it hit the middle.

In the midst of my thoughts, the clouds cleared the sky, showing the crescent moon and a sky full of stars as I elevated my head with squinted eyes. I pursed my lips together and carried my armful of bottles to the picnic table just near the tree.

I plopped the root beer in the table while taking out a bottle. I trudged to the target and took a fistful of knives in my grasps and popped open the bottle using my thumb.

I walked away from the target and gulped down half of the bottle as I swiveled back and threw the knife with so much anger and.......shame? I don't know! I've had this feeling since the time at the cemetery.

Like, a lingering feeling of contrite kept telling me that I shouldn't have been mean to that guy. It reminded me when me and Min were kids. For the past few months before we met, I did unforgivable things to her that up until now I still regret.

I bit my lip with so much force that it bled as I peered at the knife I threw.

Missed?

I stood wide eyed while staring at the misfired knife.

I scowled and vexingly grabbed a knife and circled it in my fingers. I raised it readying to aim before a voice shook me out of my concentration.

"Getting rusty, Sin?" My father chuckled and took a seat at the picnic table and saw him grab one of the bottles, but still didn't face him, lowering my knife. "I'm surprised you didn't hit."

"Me too." I retorted through closed teeth and threw another knife which hit the knife I threw earlier, making both loosen and fall to the grass which irked me more.

"Is this about Min?" He asked in an uncomfortable tone as I froze on the spot. In lowered my hand and let the knife slip from my grip. I slowly turned to him, eyes moistening but I'm not going to cry. I'm not that Sinon anymore.

"I honestly don't know." I breathed out in a sullen and apathetic manner, refraining my voice to be shaky, in a verge of sobbing. I bit my lip and took another knife from the pile and threw it with less emotion than the previous throws, and this time, it actually hit.

I don't know, but when I act mean towards him, it's like me being mean to Min all over again. If I acted nice, I'll be the old me all over again.

I turned to my dad.

"Could you give me a minute. Alone." I peered at him above my shoulder. He frowned, but stood up anyways, leaving the bottle on the picnic table.

"Sure, sweetie." He excused himself out and slid the glass door that connected the backyard to the living room. He closed the curtains covering the light from inside, the clouds became thicker and darker, blending in with the night sky.

And before I knew it, it was raining.

I gritted my teeth and slumped in the wet, muddy grass. The branches and leaves from the large tree scarcely sheltered me from the rain, still I didn't move from my spot. I felt my clothes get wet as cold wind blew from my direction as I slightly shivered.

Hours seemed like minutes. My knees were curled up in my arms as I rested my head on my knees. I felt like I was going nowhere. Doing this won't do anything. I felt my breath go warm as I finally stood up and raised my hood over my head, which drooped on my forehead covering my face. I used the picnic table as a footstool and climbed over the 8 foot fence as I went back to the place where I was comfortable.

I promised myself to not go or do anything or anywhere that reminded me of Min, but I have to make this an exception. I needed her.

I sauntered among the forest floor, the forest canopy sheltering me from the heavy rain as I slowly approached it. I heard the water just a kilometer away from me and then there it stood.

I felt my lips automatically curve.

The swing set.

The rope of the swing became mossy and dirty from the rain, and the plank was chipped with termites gnawing on the wood, some washed away from the rain. I sat on the swing feeling the branch lower from the weight. I rested my head on the rope and closed my eyes as I felt myself weakening with each second.

I felt my breath become shaky as warm streaks of water dripped down my cheek. I didn't know if it as the rain, or me actually crying.

I tightened my grip on the rope and sobbed. I can't hold it in anymore. For the first time in two years, I was actually crying. No matter how much I said that I've changed, telling myself to be strong, to forget the old me and Min. I just can't. I still know that the old me was still lingering in my soul, Min made me realize who I truly am. I can't be the Sinon I wanted myself to be. But the only thing I could do is to hide it. To shelter my feelings in the dark emptiness of my heart. I couldn't keep the promise that I will change. The best option is to make everyone else think that I've changed.

I felt the raindrops on my face recede, feeling another presence behind me as I whipped my head back. My moist eyes turned to a scowl.

"Why are you here, V!?" I reprimanded as he slightly flinched, he held a transparent umbrella over me as he stood there, completely dry.

"Earlier I asked permission if I could play here, remember?" He said with a deep, smooth voice in concern. I inwardly cursed.

How could I forget? I scolded myself that I didn't notice that we were both staring into each other's eyes. I quickly swiveled my head to the side breaking the eye contact as I stood up from the swing. When I stood up, the branch supporting the swing rose and shook of water cupped in its leaves cold water came crashing down my head.

"I'm leaving then." Suddenly a shock of pain was felt in my head as my eyebrows creased, slowly feeling weaker and weaker that my legs couldn't support my body. I exhaled and felt warmth and inability to breathe properly in my lungs.

And eventually I collapsed.

I felt broad arms catch my fall as he called out my name.

"Sinon...." the voice faltered and the next thing I knew, I was unconscious.