"Wait. Are you going somewhere?"

Anya tightened her grip on the straps of the small backpack she had slung on. "Yeah. Is it okay if we don't talk right away? I was just heading outside."

"Sure," her friend replied doubtfully. "Or I could just go with you and we can talk on the way-"

"No, I really think I need to go out by myself today."

"Okay," Nikki said, still looking slightly puzzled. "I guess I'll see you later."

"I guess you will."

Anya headed to the front door, but stopped in her tracks when her mother called out to her. "An, get yourself some breakfast first."

"It's okay, mom. I'll just eat out."

"Well- fine," Mrs. Brooks sighed at her daughter's pleading eyes. "But avoid the street food, however tempting it may smell. You know your stomach can't handle it."

"Okay, mom, thanks!" She grinned, pushing the door open and heading out into the city alone for the first time.

For the first hour or so, she simply roamed the streets, taking in the sights around her. She'd passed these streets earlier on her way from the airport, but she'd been jetlagged and nervous then, resulting in her not being able to focus too much on her surroundings.

The chaos of people bustling around, hastening to whatever destination they had to reach, was oddly beautiful to her. Her gaze wandered, the artist in her catching sight of tiny details that would have usually escaped one's sight. The patterns and faded hues of the bunting decorating various stores, the little animals and birds carved into the gate of another building, the pretty dangling earrings from a little smiling girl's lobes catching the sunlight and causing them to sparkle.

But her favourite part had to be the graffiti. Every inch of every wall in the vicity was covered in artwork, from beautifully written quotes to important messages like saving water depicted through pictures that had been drawn or painted on.

Back home, the only graffiti she encountered would be abstract designs which, though extremely interesting and eye-catching, didn't really hide any meaning behind the multiple layers of paint.

She raised her head slightly, inhaling deeply as the corners of her lips turned upwards. She needed this. She needed to be alone, especially since she knew the next week was going to be nothing short of crazy.

She caught a whiff of the pleasant fragrance of flowers, and her nose automatically guided her body towards the source.

As she rounded a corner, her eyes widened fractionally. She seemed to have been transported into a valley of flowers, and the vibrant shades of pink, yellow and orange jumped into her vision. It was absolutely breathtaking.

She shuffled forward, her eyes greedily drinking in the sight before her. This place was perfect for sparking her creativity.

She slowly made her way through the flower market, the intoxicating fragrance making her relax. Reaching into her backpack, she quickly pulled out her sketch book and a pencil, planning to draw whatever caught her eye the most.

She ended up doodling a little bit of everything that she saw onto the blank sheets, tracing the delicate patterns of the different flowers with utmost care. She bit her lip, cautiously rubbing her thumb against parts of the sketches to create a shaded effect.

At one point, she came across an old woman holding an enormous basket of orange and yellow marigold flowers all strung onto a thread together. She quickly drew a faint outline of the scene before her, then darkening the drawing and adding details from memory after the woman had passed by.

Ireum, Ireum!
Sorry bae.
Bareum, bareum!
Sorry bae-

The sound of her ringtone interrupting her drawing made her jump, and she hastily grabbed her cell phone as everyone around her looked up at her strangely.

It was an unknown number, and even after waiting for a couple of seconds the caller ID did not pop up on her screen. Huh? She frowned in confusion. She had no idea who could be calling her right now. Maybe someone back in New York, or maybe a call from the network company? She declined the call, and slipped the phone back into her bag. Whoever it was, she wasn't about to accept a random call in the middle of her time for herself.

She wandered a little further into the market, but soon the heady scent of the overwhelming number of flowers started to get to her. Seeing a little by-lane leading away from the market, she followed it and found herself on a slightly less crowded street.

She recognized this place. She'd been here on her last trip when she had been hanging out with Nikki. If she remembered correctly, she would probably find a park if she kept going left.

She had barely taken a step in that direction, though, when her phone started buzzing again. She whipped it out, her annoyance building even more as she noticed that it was the same unknown caller. She declined the call again, planning to simply block the number. Before she could do so, however, the screen lit up once again as the device buzzed in her hand.

She accepted this time, bringing the phone to her ear and snapping, "What?"

"Anya? Is that you? This is Aiden."

"What?" She paused, moving her head away from the phone to stare at the screen. Nope, she wasn't hallucinating. It really read 'Unkown Caller'. Bringing it back to her ear, she asked, "Did you change your number?"

"What? Anya, my number won't work here, remember? I got another one to use while we're in India."

"Oh. Right." Idiot.

"Anyway, I was calling to tell you that we're all going to get some pizza. Do you want to come with?"

"Who exactly does 'all' include?"

"Faith, Nikki, Zayan, Raven and I. Unless you want Zayan to invite his friend Pranav as well?"

"Oh. Um, I don't really know. I don't care if you invite Pranav or not."

"So does that mean you're in?" She could hear the excitement in his voice.

She smiled faintly. "No, Clearwater. I think I'm going to pass this time. Oh, and tell Nikki I'll be home late, will you?"

"Okay. Are you sure you're alright? Where are you?"

"I'm... somewhere. Don't worry about me, I'm not lost. I'll call you if I need a ride, but I probably won't."

"Alright, then. I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, of course. Have fun."

Once the line went dead, her fingers moved deftly over the screen, saving his new number. When she was done, she continued in the direction of the park.

She had been right. After a couple of minutes, she reached a large gate leading into the same park Nikki had brought her to so long ago. Congratulating herself on having navigated through the still-unfamiliar city alone, she headed in.

After walking around a bit, she spotted a stony beach a few yards away, where a few kids were playing. She trudged towards it, her feet itching to dip into the water. Unfortunately, she soon realized just how dirty the water was, and decided it was probably best if she didn't step into it. In the end, she settled onto the shore, taking off her backpack and placing it next to her.

She sighed. It really did feel nice to have some time to herself. The breeze on her face felt wonderful as she flipped through the sketches she had just made. It had been so long since she had made time for herself.

She sat still for a long time, taking advantage of her solitude to clear her mind. After a long time, she glanced down at her watch, and what she saw made her eyes widen in panic. It was already 6 pm? She hadn't even realized how quickly the time had passed.

She scrambled to her feet, simultaneously grabbing her backpack and swinging it onto one shoulder.

She sprinted back to the entrance, slowing as hesitation seeped into her. Her footsteps were unsure but unfaltering as she attempted to retrace her steps. She tried to look for a road leading back to the flower market, but when she went down what she thought was the right street, it didn't end in the market.

Her frustration grew. She began looking more urgently, but the winter sun had already started to set and darkness had begun to fill the city. An hour later, she realized that she had gone too far ahead- she should have located the market by now. Her shoulders slumped in defeat as dismay and fear filled her.

She was lost.

Unedited. Sorry for the slightly late update!

If there are any ARMYs or kpop fans here, y'all should check out 'Afterlife' by my favourite human, thehoenextdoor1. It's only two chapters in, but it already feels like it could be an amazing story, and YOUR encouragement could really do wonders for her confidence (AND THEN MAYBE SHE WILL FINALLY UPDATE). Anyway, go give it some love!

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