Work Text:
The rain was hitting the ground in a loud prickling sound that created a somewhat peaceful atmosphere.
But Haewon was all but peaceful, pacing around the round marble floor of the ''Temple of the Wise'' as everybody called it, a circle of eight columns supporting a dome. One of the many secret places hidden in the vast park of their private art school, the Park-Cho Academy of Classical Arts. And it was Haewon's favorite place, the one she usually went to when she was stuck with something. And right now, she was stuck trying to remember her lines. So she was pacing around, holding onto her book firmly and reciting her text with a focused face.
''Now I but chide; but I should use thee worse,
For thou, I fear, hast given me cause to curse,
If thou hast slain Lysander in his sleep,
Being o'er shoes in blood, plunge in the deep,
And kill me too.
The sun was not so true unto the day
As he to me: - As he to me...Ah fuck !''
She broke the spine of her copy of the play once again (she had read and reread it so often that the whole cover seemed ready to fall off) and pulled it up in front of her eyes so fast that she almost ripped the page :
''The sun was not so true unto the day
As he to me: would he have stolen away
From sleeping Hermia? ! YES ! I knew that damn it !''
She resisted the urge to throw her book away in the mud and exhaled deeply.
''Now I but chide; but I should use thee worse,
For thou, I fear, hast given me cause to curse,
If thou hast slain Lysander in his sleep,
Being o'er shoes in blood, plunge in the deep,
And kill me too.
The sun was not so true unto the day
As he to me: would he have stolen away
From sleeping Hermia? I'll believe as soon
This whole earth may be bored and that the moon
May through the centre creep- ...Fuck this shit !''
This time she didn't stop herself from throwing the book on the ground (not in the mud though, else she would have to buy another copy and she didn't have time for that) and yelled in frustration. This was also one of the reason why she liked this place so much : because it was so far away from the school that students rarely came here and she had all the calm and privacy she wanted to just scream her anger out when things were not working for her.
And because it was raining today, she had even more reasons to believe that she was alone, so she did not hesitate to use a very diverse and flourished set of swear words to express exactly how annoyed she was with herself and this Midsummer Night's Dream.
''Come on Haewon ! You've got to know this :
Now I but chide; but I should use thee worse,
For thou, I fear, hast given me cause to curse,
If thou hast slain Lysander in his sleep
Being o'er shoes in blood, plunge in the deep,
And kill me too.
The sun was not so true unto the day
As he to me: would he have stolen away
From sleeping Hermia? I'll believe as soon
This whole earth may be bored and that the moon
May through the centre creep and so displease
Her brother's noontide with Antipodes.
It cannot be but thou hast murder'd him;
So should a murderer look, so dead, so grim.''
Haewon sighed in relief, proud of herself for succeeding in reciting this part at last and was about to continue her next piece of dialogue when an unknown voice suddenly replied :
''So should the murder'd look, and so should I,
Pierced through the heart with your stern cruelty:
Yet you, the murderer, look as bright, as clear,
As yonder Venus in her glimmering sphere.''
Haewon turned on her heels and saw with surprise that a girl she thought she might have seen before in the corridors was leaning on one of the columns, smiling faintly, her dyed blonde hair completely flat and wet on her head, as she had apparently decided to cross the entire park under the rain without an umbrella and only wearing a cardigan. She was literally dripping water on the ground, and still, she managed to look smug about her sudden interruption of Haewon's practice. And yes, maybe it was a little impressive that she had managed to just appear from nowhere and remember exactly the answer in the specific dialogue Haewon was practicing but it was still annoying.
Maybe it was even more annoying because that girl definitely wasn't a theater student (else Haewon would have known her) and still knew the play better than her.
''So ? Why don't you continue ?
''You interrupted me.''
''I didn't. I responded. So you can continue your text now.''
The girl seriously didn't seem to see anything wrong with the way she acted and kept smiling peacefully at Haewon and dripping water on the floor, slowly forming a little pool at her feet.
''I would have but you troubled me !''
''Troubled ? Am I troubling ?''
She looked even more smug and leaned forward with a little smirk that was not without a hint of flirtiness in it (and as one of the star actor of the school, Haewon was used to being flirted with, so she knew what she was talking about). The actress frowned and corrected :
''Disturbing, if you prefer. Do not go thinking there's anything that would trouble me in any positive way in a pestering, obnoxious drenched girl.''
''Rain is sexy. Don't you watch rom-coms ?''
''No. It's a stupid, boring and meaningless form of entertainement.''
''Look who's obnoxious now ! And here I was refusing to believe the rumors !''
''What rumors ?'' Asked Haewon in a snappy tone.
''The rumors that say that all the theater students are a bunch of pretentious wanna-be intellectuals and that Oh Haewon is the biggest prick of them all, which is a lot to say.''
''Did you walk through the entire park and came here specifically to insult me ?''
She was not even surprised that the girl knew her, since she had played the lead female role in every play she did for the past three years. Everybody knew her. Her face was everywhere, twice a year, during the promotion period of their new production.
''Actually, I didn't know that someone would be here. I was just walking and enjoying the rain a little when I heard a melodious voice swearing like a sailor. Flourished vocabulary that you have by the way.''
Haewon didn't bother responding to the last part, prefering to focus on attacking the rude girl back.
''And what kind of weirdo just walks around in the rain like that ?''
Weak attack. Pathetic even. She really had to get it together !
But the unmoving, calm demeanor of the stranger was unnerving.
''I guess the classic litterature student, aspiring writer and poet, hopeless romantic kind of weirdo.''
''Literature student are just as pretentious and wanna-be intellectuals as us ! And you just demonstrated it.''
''Why ? Was that not a cool introduction ?''
''You're annoying.''
It made her laugh and Haewon felt even more inferiurated.
''I've heard that before yeah. My name is Lily Morrow by the way. Fourth year classic litterature student, specialization in British litterature.''
She walked closer to Haewon and held out her hand but she ignored it and simply said :
''OK.''
''Aren't you going to introduce yourself ?'' Asked Lily, absolutely unbothered by Haewon's attitude.
''Don't you already know who I am ?''
''It's called politeness. Although seeing the way you act I'm starting to doubt you ever heard that word.''
Reluctantly, she grabbed the hand that was still out-stretched in her direction and shook it briefly. She did it mainly because even if she didn't care if people thought she was cold, she didn't like them to think she had no manners. There was a huge difference between being snobish and ignoring politeness on purpose to manage an effect and being mistaken as an idiot.
''Oh Haewon. Fourth year theatre student. Specialization in classical theater.''
''Both of us enjoy the classics then. We have something in common.''
''We have that thing in common with the entire school. Remember where we study.''
Lily shrugged and started walking around the room with a little smile, her hands behind her back. Her steps were light, almost jumpy, and she was looking at everything with a sort of innocent, mischievous joy.
How annoying.
''But I do have a question for you Haewon.''
''And I have an answer : Leave me the fuck alone so I can work.''
Lily ignored her and continued :
''I thought the fourth year were doing Romeo and Juliet for the Winter Ball ? Why are you learning A Midsummer Night's Dream ?''
''Is it any of your buisness ?'' Spat Haewon, putting her guard up.
Lily grabbed a column and balanced herself around it, looking at Haewon with that Oh-so-inferiurating smile.
''I guess it isn't. But I'm curious about you.''
''Why is that ?''
''You always look so poised and self-assured. But today, I found you stressed, looking tired, and swearing very loudly in the middle of the park, under the rain, learning a piece that you should not be learning. It's all very intriguing. And when I find a pretty girl intriguing, I ask questions.''
She moved on to the next column, and the next, never losing eye-contact with Haewon. It was a bit hypnotizing, and surprisingly, her gaze on her was not entirely unpleasant. She was far from being the worst person to ever approach her.
''You say I look tired ?'' she asked coldly.
''It suits you, though. It gives you this dramatic gaze,'' said Lily as she abandonned her column to walk closer to Haewon. She then started walking around her as she had done with the stone pillars, forcing the actress to twist her head and body to keep looking at her.
''I've seen you perform on stage twice a year, for three years in a row now. And from the beginning I found you out-standing. You're by far the best in your year. You can be a vilain, a temptress, a princess, a prince as well. The King, the witch. An innocent victim or a cold-blooded assassin. Your characters are alive, made out of flesh and blood. Each of your tone and movement is calculated, I know, and your talent make them look so natural and true that I'm breath-taken everytime. But when I see you out of your costumes, and I'm not the only one who thinks so, you look more lifeless than a carnival mask. All the emotions and the spirit you manage to breath into your characters you seem to lack of them in real life. Always so perfect Haewon'' – and at that she playfully flickered her shoulder – ''always so confident Haewon'' – a brief hand movement sent a stray of hair float away from her face – ''always so cold Haewon. But when I see you today, for the first time you seem human. And the dark-circles, and this worn-out expression and the anxiety on each part of your face makes you just a bit more appreciable actually.''
''Why is that ?'' asked Haewon in a breath, attracted against reason to the little dance the other was executing around her. She never even thought of moving away from her teasing hands, or shoving her off.
''It makes you more approachable. You seem less like the marble statue of a greek godess and more like a terribly tragic artist lost in the delirium of her art.''
''And how is that any more approachable than a statue ? A statue is cold, maybe, but she's there. She's sure. She's unmoving and reliable. She can be touched and she won't run. A tragic artist is volatile.''
Lily stopped right in front of Haewon, her smile still as wide as when she arrived, apparently much less troubled than her by their proximity and the tone of the conversation.
''A statue is reliable but what fun is their in catching something that won't flee ? I'm reaching out to touch the cold marble hand and she does not even try to push me away. She just looks away coldly, unbothered, because my sinning hand is just like the others and she could not care less about the endless prayers of the pilgrims. But the volatile artist, she runs away from me, and then she comes back. She's proud and she's mysterious. And if I reach to take her hand, I'll never know if she'll allow it. And I find this much more amusing.''
Just as she finished speaking, she reached out and grabbed Haewon's fingers, so slowly and faintly that she could have swaped her hand away easily. But she didn't. She just kept it there, graceful and unmoving. Lily tilted her head.
''Statue. Again. Just when I thought I was getting to you ! The mask slipped but it's already back on. How dissapointing.''
''Why do you prefer things that can run away ? Do you like the chase ?''
''I hate the chase.''
''Then why ?''
''Because once my volatile artist has stopped, I know it's for me, and for me only. Because I know that in the sea of admirers, she had disdain for all but me. While for the statue, no one will ever be more than a begger, not even me.''
Haewon frowned.
''Then if I'm a statue, does it mean you think I'm self-centered and snobbish ?''
''Isn't that the image you're trying to give ? Wouldn't you take it as a compliment ?''
Perhaps she usually would. But for some reason, she felt like she didn't want Lily to think that. The literature student suddenly let go off her cold hand and Haewon didn't stop it from falling at her side lifelessly as she watched Lily starting to walk around the room again.
''Wouldn't you be proud of being as cold as the stones ? Aren't you carefully protecting your ice-queen title ? I thought you'd like that comparison better ? And didn't you look so offended when I dared to compare you to the tragic poet ? I am fair, O mortals! like a dream carved in stone,
And my breast where each one in turn has bruised himself
Is made to i nspire in the poet a love
As eternal and silent as matter.''
''What is this ?''
''Charles Beaudelaire, dear, a traduction of him, at least. He wrote a poem about you, it seems.''
''Aren't you specialized in British literature ?''
''That doesn't mean I don't read anything else !''
She smiled cockily and continued :
''On a throne in the sky, a mysterious sphinx,
I join a heart of snow to the whiteness of swans;
I hate movement for it displaces lines,
And never do I weep and never do I laugh.''
Haewon pinched her lips in a straight line and closed her eyes.
''Stop this.''
''Poets, before my grandiose poses,
Which I seem to assume from the proudest statues,
Will consume their lives in austere study;''
''Do you have all the books you've ever read memorized or something ?'' she asked annoyedly, her anger growing at Lily's taunt.
''For I have, to enchant those submissive lovers,
Pure mirrors that make all things more beautiful:
My eyes, my large, wide eyes of eternal brightness!''
Lily finished her recitation with a deep bow and a smirk.
''Is that what you think of me ?'' asked Haewon coldly.
''Have you given me any reason to think otherwise ? But I don't understand why you seem so angry. It's quite a flattering poem for someone who worked her entire scolarity to look unaprochable and snobbish.''
Haewon exhaled slowly. It was not not true. And maybe coming from anyone else she would have appreciated the comparison. But for some reason, in front of Lily and by her, she hated to hear herself described like this.
''It's all an act.''
''I know.''
''And I like to play my part.''
''But ?''
''But I'm a human. Not a statue. And right now I'm not even a tragic artist. I'm just an idiot. Who's doing something very forbidden and very stupid.''
''What is it ?''
Haewon didn't know why she felt the need to explain herself and be honest with this girl that she didn't even know. But Lily's face and smile seemed to call for truth in all circumstances.
''I've been casted in the Midsummer Night's Dream production of Hong Suk-yoon, who's like the director of the decade !''
''I know him, yeah. That's great !''
''No ! It's not great ! Because it's forbidden for theater students who haven't graduated to act in a production that is not by the school ! And if I get caught, I'll probably get expelled, or at least say goodbye to all the lead roles of this year and the next ! And it'll impact my grades severly ! It could ruin my carriere before it even begun !''
''Then why are you taking the risk ?''
''I didn't know I would get in ! I just saw they were here, the auditions were open, and I went in as a joke ! It was the occasion to meet Hong Suk-yoon ! And once I've got the part, I couldn't back out ! It's the chance of my life !''
Lily nodded.
''I understand.''
''No ! No you don't understand ! You have not even the beginning of the capacity to imagine the stress and pressure I'm under ! Not only do I have to learn my role for the Hong production and be able to perform it perfectly if I don't want to make a fool of myself and get myself black-listed in the entire industry, I also have to deal with the pressure of keeping it a secret from everybody, while I'm learning my part as Juliet for the school's production of Romeo and Juliet ! And I have my parents who are being awful and try to drag me out of here so I can study something ''useful'', and I have my friends and my classmates to deal with ! And I have all of the other students' eyes on my back all the time, including yours, and I really don't need you to come here, interrupt me while I'm working and then call me a stone-cold bitch to my face by reciting french poetry !''
Lily's smile had dropped and she was looking at Haewon sympathetically.
''I don't think you're a stone-cold bitch. I think you act like one. But I told you that in my eyes, and from what I'm seeing right now, you have the beauty of a very much human artist who's in a bad place at the moment.''
''Is that beautiful ?''
''There's beauty in struggle. Especially artistic struggle.''
''Life is not a book. I might ruin my life.''
''You chose theater. Your life is already ruined.''
''You sound like my parents.''
''But lucky you, one of my favorite movement is romantism. Haunted ruins are kind of my thing.''
Her little smile was back on her face and Haewon felt the urge to wipe it off. Why was she so annoying ? Why was she so impossibly inferiurating ?
She stepped closer to Lily who didn't move.
''I could help you, you know ? I know both A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet. If you'd let me, I could help you work.''
''Don't you have your own work to do ?''
''I always finish quickly. And I'd like to help you.''
''Why ?''
''Because I'm artiscally in love with you. And although I find sturggle beautiful, over-coming it is even more beautiful. And I don't want to see you waste both of your chances in the theater industry.''
Haewon's mouth fell open, barely registering the second half of her statement.
''You're what ?''
''Artiscally in love with you. On a purely intellectual level, I'm deeply attracted to you. Seeing you perfom is mind-blowing. Much better than any other human interaction I ever had. When you're playing a role, I can hate you viscerally and feel the actual desire to murder you. I can feel pure terror as if you are the incarnation of my worst nightmare. But most of all I can love you. When I'll see you this year as Juliet, I'll be the fiercest Romeo of the entire room. No one could love you harder than me at that moment. Gladly, I'd stab myself. And I think even in your most despicable roles, I still love you a bit.''
Haewon stayed quiet for a moment before saying :
''That's a really insane thing to say to someone you met twenty minutes ago.''
Lily chuckled.
''It is purely intellectual I said ! You're just that good ! Take it as : if I could, I'd kiss your mind and soul, but not your lips.''
''Why not my lips ?''
As soon as she heard the words, she realized how it sounded and blushed faintly as she saw Lily's eyes shine with amusement.
''Well, volatile artist or statue, I don't know who you are, but all I know is that you haven't chosen me yet. I held your hand and it laid in mine motionless. Why would I want to kiss someone who wouldn't kiss me back ?''
''If you haven't tried, you can't know if I'll kiss you back.''
''I won't take the chance. I only love when I'm sure that I'm not chasing air.''
Moved by a sudden and unexplainable instincts, Haewon closed the gap between them and took Lily's hand in hers firmly.
''Are you tempting me to quote Romeo and Juliet right now ?'' asked the other playfully. ''Because I really want to.''
''I'm not cold.''
''Your hand is very cold actually. Are you trying to show me something ? Do you want to kiss me so bad ?''
''I don't know. I have no idea what I'm doing. You're confusing me.''
''I'm troubling you, perhaps ?'' wondered the other mischievously.
She grabbed Haewon's other hand and started quoting :
''If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.''
''Can't you ever speak like a normal person, instead of quoting Shakespeare and Beaudelaire every two sentence ?''
''I'm showing you what kind of help I can provide. Just play along.''
She then started dragging Haewon around the room, moving her towards the exit.
''Where are you going ?''
''Play along I said !''
Haewon sighed and slipped into the character quickly. She was not an expert on the entire play, but this at least she knew :
''Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
Which mannerly devotion shows in this;
For saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch,
And palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss.''
Lily smiled at her encouragingly before suddenly pulling her under the rain. The cold water hit her face and Haewon squealed.
''What are you doing !''
She immediately tried to go back under the cover of the dome but Lily stopped her.
''It's more romantic. In the movie version, Di Caprio spends half of the time completely drenched.''
''And you're Di Caprio now ?''
''Am I not handsome enough ?''
Haewon rolled her eyes but stopped resisting, letting the cold rain infiltrate her clothes and stick her hair to her face.
''Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?'' asked Lily with a teasing smile.
''Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.'' she replied, letting that inferiurating expression get to her as her face softened.
''O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;
They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.''
Lily had stepped closer, and Haewon could see each rain drop rolling on her nose and cheeks, into her neck and under her clothes. She felt the need to push away the stray of hair that was stuck on her forehead, and she indulged that impulsion.
''Saints do not move, though grant for prayers’ sake.''
''Then move not, while my prayer’s effect I take.''
She leaned in slightly and stopped before their lips could touch.
Haewon waited for a second, feeling Lily's breath against her mouth before she said :
''While my prayer's effect I take. It means you take it. Not me.''
Lily laughed.
''So you do want to kiss me ! I was not planning on doing it since you seemed to find me so inferiurating but-''
''I don't want to kiss you ! It's just for the play !''
''But it's not the real play. It's just a practice, isn't it.''
''But...''
''Should I kiss you or should I not ?''
Haewon closed her eyes and thought for a second while Lily kept her close in her arms, waiting for her decision with a patient and amused little smile. An annoying little smile.
''Oh just kiss me you idiot !'' Finally exclaimed Haewon, exasperated.
Just a second later, Lily's lips were on hers. And she wondered briefly what the hell she was doing kissing under the rain an annoying, pretentious, overly intellectual stranger who claimed to be artiscally in love with her on the pretext of practicing a scene she knew by heart.
Then she stopped wondering anything at all because Lord was Lily a great kisser. Her brain stopped working efficiently and she didn't even get to feel surprised and dissapointed at how easily her carefully put together appearance shattered. She gripped Lily's shoulders and deepened the kiss without a single care for the plot of the play. This situation wasn't about Romeo and Juliet anyway. It had never been.
The kiss was wet, mostly because of the rain that kept pouring on them harshly, making them a little more drenched at each second that passed. But it was not unpleasant. It was nice to kiss someone like that. She couldn't lie to her own poetic and dramatic self who enjoyed way too much this situation. Her hands were cold as always, but Lily was warm. Her lips, her face, her hands. She was full of warmth like a beaming sun. The beaming sun she actually was, based on what Haewon had seen of her. She was fierce as well, which was unexpected from a girl who looked so sweet, but she poured in her kiss as much passion as she poured in her words. She was bold and Haewon realized that for the first time, she was being led in the kiss instead of the other way around. And she would have never thought that this girl would be the one to make her surrender the control-over-every-situation she cherished so much.
She was weak, wasn't she ?
Lily's right hand was on her neck and the left was on her hip, and it was only once she felt herself getting suddenly pulled and pressed against Lily that she realized that her fingers were firmly hooked in her belt. It was hot and the commending gesture didn't leave room for any kind of contestation. But Haewon was not protesting in the slightest bit.
A teasing bite stung her lower lip suddenly and she widened her eyes in surprise before doing the same to Lily who chuckled in the kiss before pulling away slightly.
''I was wondering when you'd start to fight back. You didn't seem like the type to be subdued so easily.''
''I'm not subdued ! What are you even saying !''
Lily laughed again and Haewon felt herself blush. They both knew it was a weak lie.
Not pulling away, the other girl sighed lightly, a small smile playing on her lips.
''Well...I guess you don't need my help to work on that one. You seem to know it well.''
''Who in this school doesn't know by heart this scene of Romeo and Juliet ? Admit that you just wanted to kiss me.''
''No, you wanted to kiss me.''
''You tricked me into a romantic atmosphere to make me want it !''
''I don't control the weather. And I was just joking around.''
''You told me you love me !''
''Because I do.''
''Don't say that to people you don't know. It's stupid.''
Lily smiled again.
''But I know you. We just shared the best kiss of my life. Could we still be considered strangers ?''
''Huh ! That's the best kiss of you life ? Because it isn't mine.''
Lie. Obviously it was a lie. Lily saw right through it. She seemed amused by it.
''After the statue, the volatile artist, the passionate kisser, I'm finally getting to the cute side of you. You're adorable when you try to lie.''
Haewon's face kept getting hotter, which was absurd because she was pretty sure she had reached her maximum long ago. Lily continued.
''But I get it...It was a stressed kiss. A kiss to unwind, to relax. Throwing yourself at my neck, hanging to my lips with such unrestrained passion...It's not something you would've done under any other circumstances. You're under too much pressure, and I just happen to be near, just inferiurating enough yet just interesting enough. I know that, Oh Haewon. I don't ask for more, you know. I had my romantic moment, I don't need anything else.''
Haewon frowned.
''Oh, so that's how it is. That's it. 'I just wanted to feel dramatic so I kissed you and now I'm good so good-bye' ? Do you get this kind of urges often ? To kiss girls and throw them away ?''
''Are you offended ? I thought you hated me ?''
''I can't hate you. I don't know you well enough.''
''Would you like to get to know me enough to hate me ?''
''Yes.''
Then, she kissed her again. And again. They kissed until the rain stopped pouring, turning into a thin veil.
She knew her lips better than anyone else's by now. And she was far from hating them.
She let go once again and they stepped away in the same instinct, making sure that distance would preserve them from jumping on each other again.
''I've never done something like that,'' said Lily, as if replying to her words from much earlier. ''And I swear I did not plan this even in the slightest. I never did anything to try to kiss you before you pulled me in the first time.''
''So I'm special ?''
''Yes.''
''So what now ?''
Lily stared at her for a moment, her hair still drenched, as well as her clothes. Raindrops were rolling on her face, and in her neck. She then looked away, in the direction of the school before turning back and saying :
''I guess since you don't need my help and you're doing amazing, I'll go back to my dorm and get changed before I catch pneumonia.''
She chuckled but Haewon exclaimed :
''That's it ?''
''You will be amazing Haewon. I trust you. You're the best actress I encountered in my life. You will leave them all breathless.''
She leaned in and kissed her very briefly one last time before she started walking away. Haewon was absolutely stunned.
''You're just going to leave like this ?''
Lily turned her head back and replied :
''Don't worry ! I'll write a poem about this encounter !''
Then, she dissapeared among the trees.
The actress stared at the spot where she last stood for a while, having troubles realizing that all of this really happened.
It was insane.
Lily was insane.
She was insane.
She was even more insane because she swore to herself that she wouldn't let this go. In the large corridors of their school, in the middle of all of those busy students, she would find her again. And they would practive every damn scene Haewon needed, and they would kiss until their lips bruised. She would make Lily's ''intellectual love'' turn into a real one. Because maybe she was the kind of girl who lets herself get lost in a passionate kiss with a stranger out of stress, but she was not the kind to let the gorgeous stranger go without putting up a fight !
Dramatically, theatrically, as the rain kept diminishing and a ray of sunshine appeared from behind the clouds, she said out loud :
''You may hate the chase, Lily, but I love it. And once I'll be done with you, it's not a poem you'll write about me, but a whole damn book !''
Then, she turned on her heels and dissapeared behind her soon-to-be-lover, the trees closing behind her like a curtain.
If there had been an audience, everybody would have clapped.