:　community center

@bae jisoo. Despite Pyeonghwa's best efforts to ensure all her passengers alighted with a smile, the truth was that it was rather impossible, especially when half of the time, her passengers were children with soft hearts and active tear ducts. Today was one of those unfortunate days, with Hyundong bawling as he ran off the bus, and Jinyoung sobbing as he trailed after, the sight of him making Pyeonghwa stop in her tracks before she could chase after Hyundong.

Pyeonghwa stood between the door and her driver's seat as Jinyoung, in between sobs, tried to explain what had happened. He hadn't gotten very far (nor had Pyeonghwa understood much, due to the sobbing), when Jisoo called for her. With a ruffle of Jinyoung's hair and a lollipop from the stash she always kept in the bus, Pyeonghwa let the kid calm himself down on the front row seat of the bus.

"Well, Jisoo, I was driving," Pyeonghwa said, gesturing at her driver's seat with furrowed brows, "so I couldn't have done much. However, the crying only started when we had already parked." Lightly pinching Jisoo's arm, Pyeonghwa pulled the younger closer to her. Pyeonghwa turned back to give Jinyoung a reassuring smile before returning her attention to Jisoo. In a hushed whisper, she asked, "Did you know they were beefing or something? What on earth did Hyundong say to our poor, little Jinyoung?"

@park pulip. The weather was perfect that Saturday morning. Morning sun hanging in the perfectly blue sky, partially blocked by perfectly shaped clouds, and a breeze that wasn't too cold in the autumn, a perfect kind of coolness to just take away any sweat. The perfect weather for the community to be picking up imperfect litter and keeping the neighbourhood perfectly clean.

That was why, when the other residents, after lots of finger-pointing, came to the conclusion that none of them had informed the town's newest resident of their regular clean-ups, Pyeonghwa volunteered herself to be the one to invite said resident. This would be the perfect first clean-up session for her, Pyeonghwa believed. After all, it was about integrating people into the community! It was about doing one's part for society and Mother Earth! It was about meeting the cool, new resident whom Pyeonghwa had only heard of through the grapevine but hadn't gotten to meet in person, which was way too unfair!

So, Pyeonghwa found herself in front of a stranger's door. Although, not a stranger for long. Once Pyeonghwa introduced herself to her new neighbour, they would be acquaintances. Later, they would become comrades in preserving the clean streets of Hanbit. And by the end of the morning, if things went the way Pyeonghwa hoped for, they would be friends. Merely imagining it was enough to put a smile on Pyeonghwa's face.

With that smile on her face and her goal in mind, Pyeonghwa confidently knocked, three times, on her soon-to-be-acquaintance's door.

@oh pyeonghwa. As his students stepped down from the bus one by one, Jisoo heard the cries of a student he'd never heard cry before. "Hyundongie!" He cried out with his arms wrapped around his student in a warm embrace, his fingers stroking through the child's hair, "What happened, why are you crying?"

The student looked up at Jisoo with his young puppy eyes, tears and snot streaming down his face as his words stuttered, "J-Jinyoungie punched me in the tummy!!!" His wails cried out throughout the town as he buried his face into Jisoo's shirt, soaking it in tears and snot.

Jisoo comforted his student with a rhythmic pat on the back as he looked up at the bus driver. "Noona," He called out before letting go of his student and instructing him to sit down, climbing onto the bus, "How did this happen? Were you watching the kids?" He sighed and looked around the bus, then in the direction of the school, which was less than a mile away, "How could something like this happen on such a short drive?"

@kim tiny. Haera's eyes flared with annoyance as she steadied herself from the unexpected trolley crash. She quick to pull her wrist away from his grip and scoffs. "Hey, watch where you're going!" she scolded, her impatience evident in the sharp tone of her voice. A mix of frustration and irritation played on her face as she surveyed the aftermath of squashed tomatoes and scattered onions.

"Seriously, can't people pay attention in a grocery store?"Her irritation deepened as she watched him fumble to salvage the fallen vegetables. "Next time, keep your eyes on the road, or in this case, the aisle!" Haera let out an exasperated sigh, her impatience written all over her expression. "Honestly, some people shouldn't be allowed in public places if they can't handle a simple shopping trip. It's not rocket science, you know."

@kim hakkun. The sky was especially dark tonight, just right for viewing the stars from the rooftop of the community center, which houses her small ballet studio. She had just finished teaching her last class of the day and was feeling overwhelmed by her thoughts as she tidied up her space. Knowing the calming effect of star-gazing, she grabbed her coat and headed up to the rooftop of the building. As she stepped out into the evening air, she was greeted by the inky darkness of the night sky, and the stars twinkling brightly above her. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and let the tranquility of the evening clear her mind.

The world was quiet, and all that could be heard was the occasional chirp of crickets and the distant hum of the gentle sea. She sat on a log bench, left to be thrown away but forgotten in this place. However, she kept it company some nights and it provided her with a sense of comfort and solace. She would stay for hours, sometimes until the first light of dawn, simply taking in the calming stillness of the world.

Tonight, Noeul looked up at the stars with awe, feeling as though the sky was so vast and infinite that she could get lost in it. She thought about how many years had passed since her flight back home took to the skies without her. She expected the years to drag on, but they had passed so incredibly fast. Even though she knew it had been six years, it felt like only yesterday that she watched the plane soar down the runway, departing for a place that she no longer yearns for.

Back in Paris, the sky was illuminated by city lights that she barely saw any stars. The night sky in Hanbit, however, was almost entirely blanketed in stars that twinkled like fireflies in the night. The stars seemed to reach out and embrace her. She felt peaceful and content beneath the night sky, a feeling she had not experienced in a long time.

They say time heals all wounds, and Noeul believes it is true. She no longer wonders about the what ifs as the unfortunate day of being left at the altar no longer fazes her. She has come to terms with the fact that although the past can't be changed, the future is open to endless possibilities, and she is ready to move forward and make the most of each moment, no matter how fleeting. She takes comfort in the fact that the stars remain in the night sky time after time, a reminder that some things are eternal. Noeul felt a wave of reassurance telling her that she was right where she was meant to be.

A smile grew on her face as the wind blew through her hair. She was happy, content, and finally at ease with the choices she had made. She knows that she had made the right decision to stay in Hanbit.

@kim haera. It was as if the world went on living while Tiny’s stood still. At least that’s how he felt when he first walked out of the facility and had a taste of what his life could have been if he were free - what the wind truly felt like when he wasn’t bound by the fence that kept him away. Sometimes it still felt like he was still there, even when doing mundane tasks such as grocery shopping. Or rather, he wished he was there instead of standing clueless in a packed grocery store like an idiot. He frowned as he scrolled over the list of items his roommates sent him just minutes prior. “Garlic, chicken thighs… dog tr- I’m not a en dog, Soo. Who the drinks oat milk? What’s wrong with regular milk?”

He shook his head and scanned the store for the appropriate section then looked back down at his phone apprehensively. Why did he suddenly wake up and decide to be helpful? Why? Either way, he made it known that he was going to get the job done whether he liked it or not. With a new found sense of false encouragement, he pushed his cart forward, his gaze following and eyes widening immediately after. But it was too late. The tomatoes and onions were tossed up into the air and green onions kissed him on the cheek as he reached out to grab the woman’s wrist to keep her from falling over. “-“