" ᴛʜᴇ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ᴍᴇᴇᴛɪɴɢ ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴄᴏɪɴᴄɪᴅᴇɴᴄᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ᴍᴇᴇᴛɪɴɢ ɪꜱ ꜰᴀᴛᴇ."
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Raina grinned as she walked around the field, there were many food tents and gift tents run by cancer survivors. As she walked around, the woman stopped at a particular tent, there were many beautiful paintings on display but one caught her eye, it was a painting of a man and a woman. The woman was painted in colour, seemingly walking down a path of beautiful cherry blossoms, her back facing Raina, while the man was painted facing forward and although he too was in colour, the colours seem to be faded and he had a sad expression on his face. Their hands were too close to each other, but not connected, it made Raina wonder about the story behind this beautiful piece.
"Hello, miss!" A young woman greeted Raina with a bow, she looked a bit older than Raina.
"Hello! I was just intrigued by this painting. Do you know the story behind it?" Raina asked, gesturing to the painting in question. The woman smiled sadly and gently ran her fingers over the work.
"Yes. My father painted this himself, I would always ask him what it meant but he never told me...Until his final days. My father suffered from Colorectal cancer when I was 18, he fought hard for many years...Until last year, that's when he finally told me the story of this painting." Raina frowned, her heart going out to the woman.
"I'm so sorry for your loss," Raina said softly, the older woman simple smiled.
"I am sorry for your's too." Park Jun-hae's passing was one common thing known about Raina. Her fans and the public, in general, were extremely sympathetic towards Raina. Raina sadly smiled and bowed, her dad's passing was still something Raina found hard to talk about and she knew it would be like that for many years to come.
"May I know the story?" Raina asked carefully, not wanting to cross any boundaries. The older woman nodded.
"It would be my pleasure. When my father was young, he met a woman, his first love. From what he told me of her, she was a damaged woman, her past was not the kindest but her spirit was the most beautiful thing he had the pleasure of knowing. Despite her unkind past, the woman was kind and gentle to everyone around her. My father described her as his paradise, his safe haven. They were close friends for many years until the woman confessed her feelings to my father, but before their romantic relationship could begin...My grandfather, who owned a very successful and large company in America demanded he moves to the states and learn about the company so he could take over. My father couldn't disobey my grandfather, but he didn't want to ask her to move to the states with him, knowing her life was here in Japan...So, my father left Japan, only leaving this woman a letter containing everything he had always wanted to say to her. As far as I know, they never crossed paths again after he left. When my father met my mother, he was the happiest he had been, but I think my mother knew that this woman, his first love, would always have a fragment of his heart and she encouraged him to paint her and well this is it." The woman explained, Raina stared at the painting in awe, his story, their story was beautiful but bittersweet.
"My father's only regret in life was not living a life with this woman, not being able to know what it felt like to hold her in his arms, to love her even if it was for a little while. Her being so close but yet so far, unattainable." Raina looked at the older woman.
"He truly loved her, didn't he?" The woman hummed and smiled at Raina before slowly nodding her head.
"He did. This woman in life and in death always had a fragment of his heart. But I also know that while he loved her, he was completely in love with my mother, which is why she was so encouraging when it came to this painting. My mother understood that a person's heart does not solely belong to one person, but rather a person's heart is connected with many people throughout life." Raina smiled at this.
"Your mother is a very beautiful woman to have a belief like that. You don't see many people think the way she does." The woman smiled softly.
"Yes, my mother was a beautiful soul." Raina caught onto the 'was' the woman seemed to have noticed Raina's guilty look and giggled.
"It's okay! you didn't know. My mother passed away when I was 23 but now I know that wherever she is, my father is by her side." Raina smiled and thought back to her own father who she'd see in her dreams, she knew he was safe, that he was at peace.
"It's a beautiful story. Who knows, maybe the woman is here and sees this painting? The universe is a funny thing." Raina said this caused the older woman to laugh happily.
"Yes. That would be quite a turn of events." Raina laughed with the woman before bowing respectfully as the woman served another customer. Raina looked at the painting once again and couldn't shake the familiarity of it, now knowing the story. A man meeting his first love, only just being able to confess their feelings just for him to leave.
"Pretty lady!" Raina snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a little voice, she turned around to see the little boy from the cafe running towards her with the same man following close behind. Raina grinned down at the little boy once he stood in front of her, beaming up at her.
"You're Raina Park! The pretty singer!" He gushed out, Raina had to physically stop herself from pinching the adorable boy's cheeks as they puffed out.
"That's me! what's your name?" Raina asked with a smile.
"I'm Takahashi Asahi!" The little boy bowed and Raina giggled, she looked up to see the same man from the cafe ran up to them.
"And this is my older brother, Takahashi Haru!" Asahi introduced, tugging on his brother's sleeve. Raina beamed and bowed to the stunned male.
"Hello, I'm Raina Park a pleasure to meet you again." Haru gapped at Raina before he snapped himself out of his daze.
"I-I-The pleasure is mine." He stuttered, bowing back his neck and cheeks flushed. Raina grinned and was about to speak before the crowd around them started to cheer, Raina looked to see the marathon runnings closing in on the finish line. She couldn't see them clearly from where she stood but she could see a man in the lead, a group of males and a female running up to Haru and Asashi with matching grins.
"He's in 1st place Haru! come on!" One of them screamed, Haru's face lit up as he turned to Raina.
"Would you like to join us? Our best friend is competing." Raina politely smiled.
"I'll catch up! Go! cheer on your friend!" Haru didn't wait and quickly bowed to Raina before scooping up a giggling Asashi and racing to the crowd. Raina spotted the rest of her group not far from the finish line and ran to them, they stood off to the side, just behind the crowd. Raina caught Haru's gaze and waved, the man grinned back before the leading man finally passed the finish line claiming his victory. The crowd cheered and clapped before the announcer stepped forward.
Raina couldn't help but notice the man's familiarity, there was something about him that Raina recognised but she couldn't put her finger on it. Raina wasn't the only one, Ni-ki squinted his eyes at the figure it took him a moment before he realised why the man was familiar.
"No fucking way." Ni-ki breathed out, as he staggered back in shock. Everyone looked at him.
"What Ni-ki?" Jake questioned as he stared at Ni-ki who was shocked to his core. Ni-ki turned to his friends, his gaze stopping on Raina.
"Guys...I-I think that's-"
"The winner of the Cancer marathon competition is.. K" At his name, they all snapped their heads to the man as he walked closer to the crowd and they could now all make out his features. Raina's brain shut down as she stared at K, who was now being bombarded by his friend...His friend happening to be Haru. Raina stood completely frozen, even when Ni-ki slipped his hand into her own. He looked happy. Tears clouded Raina's vision as she continued to stare at him, he looked just as handsome as he did in I-LAND, his beautiful eyes shining brightly, his hair looking just as soft, Raina could hear his laughter from where she stood and squeezed Ni-ki's hand a little tighter. But the moment they witnessed a girl run into K's form, Raina couldn't look anymore.
He had moved on?
Raina knew it was silly to think that maybe, maybe he hadn't met anyone else after all these years. But to see him for the first time in years, with another woman in his arms. It hurt her. It killed her.
"Raina..." Jay slowly cooed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Raina shook her head and swallowed thickly, she put on a smile after wiping away a fallen tear.
"I'm okay. Now, we need to go backstage. I have a performance to do." Raina knew they didn't believe her but they said nothing, all of them too shocked to do so. Once she was changed into her outfit, Raina waited and stared out into the crowd. Now knowing that somewhere in that crowd, K might be standing there, it made her anxiety skyrocket and her heart pounded in her chest.
Raina's own words from earlier came to haunt her
The universe is a funny thing.
And it's also fucking cruel.