BUILD---*Present*
Build went home after the celebration at the studio, but Bible still hadn't come nor called. He couldn't help but wonder—didn't Bible miss him?
His parents had prepared a celebration at their house as well. They had a lot of conversations about how much they missed him and how they wanted to visit Korea.
Today, Build decided to visit his grandmother's house. He missed her too.
"I missed you so much, my favorite grandson," she said, kissing him on the cheek.
"I'm your only grandson, of course I'm your favorite," he teased, hugging her tight. "And I missed you too."
His grandmother chuckled, her eyes twinkling. "I have another grandson, you know. He came to visit for about a year and a half when you weren't around. I'm not sure why he stopped coming, but he used to send me flowers and letters all the time."
Build's heart skipped a beat. He pulled away from her embrace, gripping her shoulder. "Where are the letters, Grandma?"
"What do you want with them? They're mine now," she said with a playful grin. "He was such a handsome young man, if only I were still young." She laughed softly before pointing toward her room. "They're in my drawer. There's a lot of them!"
Build kissed her cheek before rushing toward her room, his heart pounding in his chest.
As he opened the drawer, his eyes immediately filled with tears. There were so many dried roses—each one a testament to the time that had passed. But what caught his attention was the one fresh rose among them. He carefully picked it up, a lump forming in his throat.
"You told me he only came for one and a half years, right? Why is this one still fresh?" he asked, his voice trembling, tears falling from his eyes.
His grandmother, noticing the sudden shift in his emotions, walked toward him with a concerned look. "Did he come here?!" Build asked urgently, his heart racing as he searched her face for answers.
His grandmother hugged him gently, holding him close. "There's a letter, pasted to the rose, Build."
It was then that Build noticed the small note affixed to the fresh rose. His hands shook as he picked it up, reading the words, unable to comprehend what they meant yet at the same time, feeling as though his heart had been torn open.
Build stood still, his hands trembling as he read the letter his grandmother had handed to him. His eyes blurred with tears as he held the dried roses in his hands, tracing his fingers over them, trying to connect with the past.
The one thing that stood out was the fresh rose, the one Bible had sent. He stared at it, wondering why it was still alive after all this time.
The note stuck to it said it all:
"Happy birthday Build. I've sent you a lot of roses... I love you 'till the last one of them dies."
His breath caught in his throat.
He couldn't believe it. Bible had come here. For him. And for his birthday, a year ago. But why did he stop visiting? Why didn't he come this year?
His heart pounded in his chest as he walked towards his grandmother's room. He was desperate for more answers, for more letters.
