✓LOVER BOY | hwang hyunjin

24. Wrapped In You

Hyunjin was already seated inside the flower shop. He was in awe at the plethora of color all around. The built of the walls was tall, holding up an intricately crafted dome. Glasses of shimmer were adored in each corner. The sunlight would filter inside in a varied burst of rainbows. The trees reached up to the ceiling, and flowers were huddled in neat circles. The centre piece was a drooping, thick trunked plant. It's leaves spread out in all fives. Beside it were blue, pink and white hydrangeas. Hyunjin could only wish to be taken in by the warmness this place created all around.

"Daydreaming already?" It was Yeseul. Hyunjin felt a flutter in his chest. He was quick to turn around. Her face was blooming into a grin. He could hear her thoughts resonate with his as she watched around, eyes full of childlike wonder.

"You're late."

"Aye." She held out a coffee for the boy. "Don't boss me around. I'll go fill in my entry. Wanna come?"

Hyunjin took the cup, nodding. Yeseul walked past him, and when he turned around, he became aware of her white dress. It felt as though she belonged in between all the flowers. He didn't realise what he was doing, but as soon as his phone captured her in the moment, he felt a warm blush creep over his cheeks. "Fuck."

It was too precious to let go off. He jogged to catch up on the girl.

The day was quick to pass. Since it was their first day at work, their manager had handed them a clipboard. It contained sketches of flowers, the colours they came in, the herbal importance, and the meanings they held. They had to memorise it quick, and as the manager had told them, become a part of what grows here.

Lunch break rolled in, the customers were sparsely visible. This was a good chance for Yeseul to walk around, making herself familiar with what laid in each corner of the place. She mostly would drift off into deep admiration rather than learning the names. But it was all worth it. She sat down to watch a monarch butterfly that was sitting on a white and pink shaded flower. Yeseul took a look at her clipboard. "Cosmos." She couldn't contain her smile at the name. It suited the plant so well.

Hyunjin had secretly joined in the observation. He had leaned down to meet what Yeseul was watching with such curiousness. "What do we have here?"

Yeseul flinched too hard. The fright was too sudden. She stood up, her shoulder hitting the boy's face. Hyunjin recoiled back, hands over his face. Yeseul was shocked, but she couldn't stop laughing at the collision. "Are you okay?"

"Are you laughing over me?" Hyunjin wasn't happy about this. He groaned, sitting down, face still hidden.

Yeseul was florid from the surprise. She had to force her mouth shut, but the tickling need to laugh didn't die. She sat near him, holding his wrists, trying her utmost not to slip out any signs of smiles. Hyunjin gave in, his hands falling in hers loose. His eyes were still closed. "I'm so sorry. Does it hurt too much?"

Yeseul tried to meet his eyes, but he blinked away, sighing.

"You almost murdered me."

That only furthered the want to laugh. Yeseul dig her face on her knees, laughing silently.

"And you're laughing at me, again." Hyunjin had let out the slightest of smile out too, but as soon as the girl would look up, he let go of it.

"That's a funny imagination. Imagine if you died after being shouldered in the nose." Yeseul almost snorted. Hyunjin only turned further sulky.

"Okay, I'm sorry. Really. I'm not going to laugh anymore." Hyunjin didn't reply. Yeseul subconsciously brought her hand up, pushing back a piece of hair that had fallen over his eyebrow. But as soon as his skin came in touch with hers, her heartbeat doubled. She froze, her eyes caught by Hyunjin's mid act. It brought back rushing memories from the night they ended up kissing. That incident was never brought up between the two, but now that they were so near, no one could stop their awareness of how close they were once again.

"I'm sorry." Yeseul pulled her hand away. Hyunjin wished she didn't. He wished he could pull her in his arms.

"It's okay." Hyunjin blinked away, looking at the sunshine that fell over Yeseul's face, turning her hair into strands of gold. She was so beautiful. It would hurt his heart to realise it.

"I found a monarch butterfly here." Yeseul tried changing the build up tension in the air. She shifted her feet, head turning back to look at the flower where the insect had been sitting, but it wasn't there anymore. "I think it flew away."

Hyunjin suddenly held Yeseul's arm. "Wait. Don't move."

"Huh? What's it?"

"It's sitting on your shoulder. Let me get it." Yeseul was too conscious about Hyunjin's fingers gently touching her shoulder, waiting for the butterfly to climb in his hand. She almost stopped breathing. "I got it." The boy muttered under his breath.

Yeseul watched the calm butterfly on his hand. It was such a beautiful sight.

"You want to hold it?" Hyunjin asked. Yeseul readily nodded although she was nervous about scaring their new friend away. Hyunjin gently took her hand in his, placing his palm against hers, giving the butterfly enough closeness to climb in Yeseul's hold, but before Yeseul could experience the ecstasy, it flew away, making both of them to look up, just to find the air bare of any signs of it.

"Where did it go?" Hyunjin tried standing up, but Yeseul pulled him back down. "What?"

"Stay still. It's on your head." Yeseul pulled out her phone, and quickly opened the camera to take the picture of the moment. She presented the boy the brightest of smiles he had seen in a while.

"Congratulations on becoming a father, Hyunjin." Yeseul put the screen in front of his eyes, but all he saw was the girl in the background laughing merrily. It was all he could wish to see.

"Beautiful."

Hyunjin knew exactly what his first day of entry would talk about.