Flowers of Andong [COMPLETED]

28 June 1950

The streets of a small village just outside of Andong were quiet on this dark, shivering night. A young woman had just closed up the shop and was headed home. She hurried down the street, fighting the cold that began to spread from her hands and feet as she began her journey home. She sniffled and rubbed her nose, and smiled whenever she greeted a village neighbour passing by. She even chuckled when she saw her breath become a cloud of fog.

Once she reached the end of the road and the path became dirt, she was standing in front of the village park. There were a few other villagers taking a stroll on this cold evening but only one stood still, next to a large tree in the middle of the field. He stood there, waiting for her patiently, and she walked over, a shy smile growing on her face.

"Have you been waiting for long?" she asked when they were only a few meters apart and closing. He had his hands stuffed into his pockets and shifted his weight from the heel to ball of his feet.

He shook his head and said, "Not at all. I just got here."

She knew he was lying and so she went close enough to hug him, sharing the warmth of her own body. He wrapped his arms around her too and planted a kiss on the top of her head.

"Why didn't you wear a scarf, Jisoo?" he asked. "You could catch a cold."

"I must've lost mine again, Kiyong. Oops," she replied, shamelessly snuggling into his embraced.

He knew she was lying, so he let go of her for a second to give her the scarf around his neck. His hands still had enough warmth in them to hold her small face comfortably, and he tucked some hair behind her ear while he gazed into her eyes. They were reflecting the light coming from the street lamp but it looked like stars to him.

Kiyong leaned down, kissing her lips for a long second. The tip of his nose was cold and it tickled Jisoo's face, making her smile onto his lips and break out of the kiss.

"Your nose is so cold," she chuckled and held his neck. Kiyong flinched from the ice cold shock of her frozen hands and she enjoyed his reaction.

"My god, Jisoo! Your hands are like ice! Here..."

He took both her hands in his, holding them like a ball to warm them up. Jisoo watched him rub the backs of her hands gently to create a bit of friction. His look of dedication was admirable and he was determined to keep her warm despite how red his ears were turning from the cold.

"Kiyong-ah..." she said so he would look at her, "Will you walk me home?"

"Of course. That's what I'm here for," he replied and interlaced one of his hands with one of hers.

They walked out of the park and strolled through the even darker alleyways. They talked about their day, how Jisoo pricked her finger on a thorn of flower again and how Kiyong almost scalded himself while making the fireplace. They laughed at each other's clumsiness but still showed care for each other's injuries.

It was like this every time, and all the villager neighbours knew it too. "The flowers of Andong must be in bloom," people would say with a bittersweetness when they saw the two together. The saying described their goofy smiling faces as such a refreshing sight that even the reaction of anyone passing by would resemble the feeling of happiness of when flowers would begin to bloom. It was the smile of Spring after a cold Winter.

"How long do you have until you have to go back to Seoul again?" Jisoo asked. Kiyong's stays in Andong were short, since he went to school in Busan. Here in Andong, he stayed with one of his schoolmate's family who were generous enough to share their home on the weekends.

"Just a few more weeks. Why? Do you want me to stay with you longer?" Kiyong teased.

"Not at all. I'm glad you're leaving soon," she joked and he frowned, "Just so I can miss you even more when we meet again."