POMEGRANATES AND TULIPS: Book 2 (Jeon Wonwoo)

13 | Distances Between Us

I chew lightly on my straw while waiting patiently; Seungkwan sent me text messages this morning about wanting to talk about something important. A small sigh escapes my lips as I look down at my phone; where is he? Fifteen minutes passed already.

I look out the window, hoping to glimpse his new Honda Civic; I open the chat and start typing three questions. Where are you? Are you on your way? What's so important that you have to speak in person? I let another sigh pass my lips and lean back into the chair; crossing my arms, I exhale softly and sit up straight. If he doesn't show up in ten minutes, I'll leave.

The cafe was getting a bit busier the minute lunch hour hit; my knee bounced out of anxiety. I fiddle with the sleeves of my cardigan; I can't sit still when I feel uncomfortable in crowded places. I bite my lip and look at the time; I groan quietly as I rest my head on the table. Maybe Mingyu has him held hostage with his undeceive mind? Perhaps he's stuck in traffic, or maybe he was caught up with something or someone else. I turn my head to stare out the window as the snow covers the sidewalks and benches, my first time seeing snow...it feels peaceful watching it snow.

A light knock on the table had me lift my head, "Ooh, I thought it was Seungkwan." I said with a small smile. "Ah, so you're the one he was supposed to meet up with...aish Mingyu has him working double today," Chan says with a smile as he sits. Lee Chan, everyone knows him. He's the face of Kim's Winery and Ero's Fantasies, the most prominent company run by Seungcheol. I'm pretty surprised Chan is the face of Ero's Fantasies, "That explains why he hasn't answered my texts or calls." I said with a smile and let a sigh escape. Chan takes the empty seat before me, "You know you seem different today." He says with a smile.

I look at him, confused. "Different? How?" I asked. Chan crosses his arms and bites his lip. "You seem chatty...if that makes sense." He says I let out a small giggle, "Chatty? Me? That's new." I said. Chan smiles and chuckles, "It is, and it's a good thing. Most of the time, you avoid conversations with me." He says, tilting his head lightly. "Why?" He asks. I bite my lip and look at my half-empty cup. "Well, I don't like talking about the past; most people tend to jump on that topic when meeting new people," I said. Chan nodded and looked at the table. "I suppose it's a valid reason. I understand," He says I smile.

"Well, I should get going since Seungkwan is stuck with Mingyu in the office. It was nice chatting with you," I said, looking at Chan as I got up, "Oh, let me drive you home. It's snowing and freezing for you to walk." Chan says with a smile as he gets up. I bite my lip and look out the window; the snow looks soft and fluffy. I want to enjoy the snow before the new year; I look at Chan. "I appreciate your offer, Chan, but it's my first time being in the snow, and I want to take this opportunity to enjoy it by myself," I said, grabbing my bag off the chair. Chan had a surprised look. "Really? Of course, I understand," he says; I smile.

"Wait..." He says before I could take my leave, Chan removes the navy blue wool scarf from his neck. "Oh no, it's fine, you need it," I said; Chan chuckles and shakes his head. "Ani, gwenchana. Besides, I have hand warmers," He says as he wraps it gently and neatly around my neck. I look at him with curiosity. "T...thank you," I said; Chan smiled and patted my head. "See you around." He says before leaving the cafe. With curiosity running through me, I watch him go.

He's strange...in a good way, he's reserved yet caring for those around him. I bite my lip and leave the cafe; a soft sigh leaves my lips.

The snow crunches softly under my feet as I walk through the park; it's a bit crowded today. I suppose many people come to the park during the winter to play in the snow; I tuck my hands into my coat pocket, feeling cold. Maybe wearing shorts during the winter wasn't the best idea; I looked up from the snow to see kids running and rolling around in the snow. I smile faintly as I watch them as they scream and laugh.

I grip my coat tightly as I continue to stroll around. I didn't expect it to be this cold during winter, "Eomma, can I have a puppy for Christmas?" a little girl asked her mother as she pointed at a golden retriever walking by with its owner. "Let me talk to your appa," the mother says as they get up from the bench. I bite my lip and tuck my coat under as I sit on the bench. I see the black see-through stocking getting soaked with the snowflakes falling, shivers running down my spine. I fix the rolled-up ends of the black denim shorts, tucking the shirt into the shorts.

A sigh escapes my lips as I watch people walk past me. Christmas is next week, and I haven't done Eunseo's or Hansol's gift shopping. And then there's Seungkwan and Soonyoung; why is it difficult to shop for gifts? I begin to shiver from the cold; I hug myself. I'm not wearing proper clothing for snow; I forgot to wear a long sleeve under my top. I get up from the bench, feeling myself shiver non-stop.

I turn right to continue my walk, and I halt. My breath hitched as we made eye contact; Wonwoo stood ten feet away. I chew on the inside of my cheek; he's wearing a black tux under a dark grey coat. His hair was slightly pushed back, revealing his full features; he wasn't wearing his glasses. I tilt my head lightly; he looks like he just had walked out of a fancy dinner. 

My heart beats faster as he walks over; I watch him taking cautious steps. I stopped fidgeting and stood in place, our eyes never breaking eye contact. I hiccup softly as I realize he's closing the distance between us; six feet turned into four. And then it became one foot; I looked up at him. His breathing was ragged and unsteady; his brown orbs were filled with anger and anguish.

I froze as he wrapped his arms around me; I could feel his heartbeat against my cheek. It was beating like crazy, adrenaline? His breathing becomes steady and calm; his tensed-up muscles relax, going limp. I could hear small sniffles escape from him; I felt my heart ache upon hearing him. I wrap my arms around his torso, comfort...he's seeking comfort.

His warmth kept me from the cold, and my grip on him became slightly tight. "I'm sorry...I just—I saw you and needed your comfort." He whispers; I bite my lip. "It's okay..." I whisper; I open my eyes, feeling him pulling away. "Are you okay though?" I asked; he smiled faintly and nodded. "Yeah," He says, but looking into his eyes, he says otherwise. I drop the subject and nod, "I didn't mean to take you by surprise; I just didn't know what to do with these overwhelming emotions." He says. I shake my head, "It's okay; it benefited the both of us anyway." I said.

Wonwoo tilts his head, "Really?" he asked. I smiled and nodded, "I was freezing from the cold," I said. He chuckles and smiles. I bite my lip and look at the laces of my boots, "Well, you aren't wearing warm clothes," He says. I chuckle, "Yeah, I underestimated the weather today." I said. Wonwoo laughs lightly, "Here," He says, pulling a pocket hand warmer from his coat. His touch was soft against my hand; it felt like specks of electricity flowing as we touched. 

"Thank you," I said with a smile as I held it with both hands trying to keep warm. "You look nice," I said; looking at the black tie and neat hair, he shied away. "Yeah, it was an important breakfast meeting sort of thing." He says, I nodded. "I'm heading to the bookstore...you're welcome to join me if you want," I said, knowing he still needed comfort. Wonwoo smirks, "Buying me ramen?" He asked. I laugh lightly, "I can," I say. He smiles and nods, "Well then, I'll be honored to join you." He says. I smile at his playfulness.

What has you feeling overwhelmed? Why do you close the distances between us when you'll end up stepping back again?