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[ Everything ] - [ The black skirts]

"Lichen is an amazing organism," Sakura remarked to Vienna as she was tidying up her desk. With the graduation exams just over a week away, Vienna was clearing her books in preparation.

"Don't you agree? Lichen forms through a fascinating symbiosis between algae and fungi. The algae provide food for the fungus through photosynthesis, while the fungus supplies the algae with moisture and nutrients from the environment. If you were to separate them, neither would be able to survive on its own; both would eventually perish."

Sakura noticed the shift in Chiyo's gaze and chuckled, "You've got someone in mind, don't you?"

"Once the graduation exams are over, I'm planning to pursue Yang Jungwon."

Sakura's eyes widened with excitement. "Oh! In that case, you should aim for universities in Tokyo too!"

Chiyo's resolve was clear as she added. "In university, I'm going to learn how to dress better, do my makeup properly, and get involved in more activities to meet new people."

Sakura turned to Vienna, who had been quiet, and said with a grin, "Vienna, you'll be the femme fatale in university. Boys will line up to get your number."

Vienna glanced up with a hint of sarcasm. "Because I'll be the only girl in the Department of Mathematics or Physics?"

Chiyo burst into laughter and playfully pinched Vienna's cheek. "You're such a dork!"

Vienna turned her face slightly away, trying to hide her smile.

Sakura  couldn't help but laugh as well. "Forget what I said—you won't just be the Department Belle, you'll be the School Belle! If you choose an engineering school, you'll have a whole flock of admirers. Have you ever thought about your ideal type?"

Vienna carefully placed her Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary into her school bag and zipped it up. She replied softly, "If I commit murder, he commits arson."

"......"

"......"

Vienna continued slowly, "But I won't murder anybody, and I don't want him to commit arson either."

Chiyo nudged Vienna gently, a playful grin on her face. "Your jokes are always so cold. Essentially, your ideal type is someone who would love you so much that he'd be willing to die for you, isn't it? But finding someone like that in today's world is impossible!"

Sakura joined in, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Yeah, seriously though—what's your real ideal type?"

"Someone who treats me as a...... little child. Wherever I go, he would......follow. If I'm not within his line of sight, he would feel anxious and uneasy; and if he's not within my line of sight, I too......would feel anxious and uneasy."

"NO! NO! NO!" Chiyo shook her head vigorously. "Vienna, with this kind of mindset, the happiness and bliss in your relationship won't last long. Equality is crucial. Your relationship shouldn't be one of father and daughter or brother and sister; you need freedom and space. It's unhealthy to be so dependent on each other. You should work on changing your perspective."

"Oh," Vienna replied quietly.

With their desks cleared, the three friends left the classroom. Chiyo suddenly suggested, "Since we have a holiday tomorrow, why don't we go to the Temple to pray? We could even invite Jungwon!"

Curious, Sakura asked, "You believe in Buddha?"

"Honestly, I'm more excited about the climb to the temple and exploring the market stalls along the way! We can get plenty of snacks."

"Hold on—it's so hot right now, so be cautious and don't overeat. The exams are just around the corner. We can enjoy the food after they're over."

"Alright, then maybe we can hit the amusement park after the climb."

"That sounds fun! I want to play whack-a-mole! Vienna, why don't you join us?"

Vienna glanced at the familiar figure on the street opposite the school compound. Shaking her head gently, she declined, "No, it's alright."

"Why don't you come along too? It'll be more fun if everyone is there," Chiyo urged Vienna.

Vienna, adopting a nasally tone, fibbed, "I think I'm coming down with a cold. I'd rather stay home, take some medicine, and rest tomorrow."

"Oh, in that case, you should definitely stay in and take care of yourself. If you do catch a cold, it might take a whole week to recover. You'll need to be fully rested if you want to make the most of your study time before exams," Chiyo advised.

"Yeah," Vienna agreed, nodding weakly.

Vienna said her goodbyes to Sakura and Chiyo at the school gates. She headed towards Ni-ki's neighborhood, but stopped a fair distance away from the school compound.

He caught up to her with effortless speed, his presence a sudden and relieving contrast to her weary demeanor.

Vienna trudged forward, her posture hunched under the relentless weight of her school bag. The straps, soaked through with perspiration, clung uncomfortably to her shoulders, as if they were a second skin.

Ni-ki stepped up beside her and, without a word, lifted the bag from her shoulders.

In a low voice, Vienna murmured, "I don't have class tomorrow."

Ni-ki glanced at her, his tone casual yet attentive, "For the entire day?"

"Yes."

He considered her response for a moment. "Do you plan to spend it revising your work, or would you prefer to hang out?"

Vienna's eyes brightened slightly. "Hang out."

"Alright," Ni-ki said with a nod.

They continued their walk in companionable silence, the city's hustle and bustle fading into the background. After a while, Ni-ki broke the silence, his curiosity piqued. "That person you ran into this afternoon—was he the police officer you mentioned?"

"Yes."

Ni-ki's brow furrowed slightly. "Why was he looking for you?"

"He told me," Vienna began, her voice tinged with a hint of frustration, "that I should be cautious around boys my age. And he also said—"

Ni-ki cut in, his curiosity evident, "What else did he say?"

"He warned me not to go to another boy's home alone and to avoid deserted, isolated places."

Ni-ki was silent for a moment, the weight of her words hanging in the air. After a while, sensing Vienna's expectation for him to respond, he looked at her with a mix of curiosity and amusement.

"He gave you all that advice, and yet, you still chose to follow me home?"

Vienna lowered her gaze, her lips pressed firmly together. "So what if I did?"

A small, enigmatic smile tugged at the corners of Ni-ki's mouth.

Vienna's voice was steady as she spoke, "Everyone's talking about the raincoat murderer. They think it's someone young—around our age."

Ni-ki didn't respond right away, his eyes focused ahead, his silence heavy. After a long pause, he finally asked, "Aren't you scared? What if... I'm the one they're talking about?"

Vienna didn't flinch. "No, I'm not."

He stopped walking, turning to face her fully, his gaze dark and piercing, searching for any hint of doubt in her eyes. "Even if the murderer really were me, you wouldn't be afraid?"

Her expression didn't change, her eyes unwavering as she met his intense stare. "No," she repeated firmly, her voice calm. "I know it's not you."

For a moment, Ni-ki just stared at her, the weight of her trust pressing down on him. Her belief in him, so absolute, felt both comforting and terrifying. He let out a soft, almost disbelieving laugh, shaking his head.

"Silly girl," he murmured.

Something in Ni-ki shifted. Her quiet certainty, her simple but profound faith in him—it made something tighten in his chest. He reached for her hand, his grip firm but gentle, as if making a silent promise.

Her trust in him was dangerous, yet it was the one thing in the world he couldn't betray.

Vienna plucked a strand of green foxtail from the roadside, twirling it between her fingers as she followed closely behind Ni-ki. With a playful tilt of her head, she reached out, brushing the soft green tip against his palm.

Startled, Ni-ki pulled his hand back, turning to give her an amused, slightly annoyed look—like an adult humoring a mischievous child. He snorted, shaking his head, and continued walking.

Undeterred, Vienna quickened her steps to catch up, again trailing the foxtail gently across his hand.

With a smirk, Ni-ki glanced at her, "What are you doing?"

"Where are you taking me tomorrow?" she asked, her voice light.

"You'll find out when we get there."

"Oh." Vienna fell into step beside him, still brushing the foxtail against his palm. This time, Ni-ki didn't pull away, letting her continue her playful teasing without complaint.

"The place we're going—will it be fun?" Vienna asked, her eyes bright with curiosity.

"What do you think?"

"It'll be fun,"

"How do you know?" he asked, genuinely curious now.

She shrugged, her tone unwavering. "I just know."

Ni-ki chuckled softly, a smirk playing on his lips. "Why, are you some kind of psychic now?"

Vienna shook her head with a small smile. "I'm not a psychic, but I just know."

Many years later, when Vienna would grow into an old and frail woman, she would still recall every single conversation she had shared with Ni-ki, as if they had happened just yesterday.

Both of them had always been people of few words. Most of the time, they walked together in silence, as though they were two strangers merely traveling the same path. Their conversations, when they did happen, were often trivial and sometimes silly. Yet, in those moments, the quiet exchanges carried a weight that only they could understand.

Though the words were simple and often meaningless to an outsider, they held a strange significance for her. It wasn't about the depth of the topics they discussed but the unspoken understanding that passed between them.

Every glance, every brief smile, and every brush of the hand would linger in her memories as if it had happened only moments ago.

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