the light that drifted high in the sky had split open. your mind was always on your old friend, Luka. since the day you had been separated from him, you constantly cherished the memories you made with him.

on the rare occasion that you and him were tired from playing, you would take a little break. the scent of summer strokes your cheek as you sit down underneath the artificial tree with him. the sky, which you then had been unaware was fake, had remained blue. unbeknownst to you, you were the light that kept everyone going. you and the other children currently thrived in an environment where violence and cruelty were normalized. despite this, you and Luka were fairly short, so occasionally, you would both stand on your tiptoes to make yourselves taller. even if these days end up ending soon, you were so sure you’d still remember him.

slowly growing up, far behind, Luka never realized all the while the night had been blooming in your smile. if you couldn’t put your thoughts into words, you’d feel all alone, but it’s alright, you’ve already resigned yourself to it.

in your memories, it will always smell like summer. to Luka, photographs were nothing but scraps of paper, and memories were nothing but thoughts, but since you didn’t understand that, he kept his mouth shut. in your memory, he shines.

you always kept optimistic and hopeful, whereas he was the opposite. because of this, you matured much faster than him. he couldn’t catch up, it was just a sunny day for you.

now, you have let go of the regrets, and now cherish the memories with him. you hope he raises his hands and claps them any way he likes. even if neither of you couldn’t put it into words, you both were one.

that’s enough. you were only chewing over memories of him.