HYYH Notes 2

The Reason Why Fireworks Are Beautiful (Part 2)

Jimin
12 August Year 22

Lying on the bed, I searched online with my phone. There was an article about Seokjin disclosing his father's illegal dealings. From the interview, I could feel Seokjin's determination to face this head on. Even after the interview was aired, the redevelopment plan and Seokjin's name were the top search words.

After reading some more comments under the articles, I tossed my phone onto the bed. I got up and glanced out the window. It was the middle of August, hazy and sweltering outside. And I remembered the last thing Seokjin had said in the interview.

"I will admit to all my errors and mistakes. I will not hide or run away." Could I face my own errors and mistakes? Could I not run away or hide?

The bus stop for the shuttle bus to the Grass Flower Arboretum was hot in the summer sunlight. The sun was at its zenith, casting practically no shadow at my feet. There was no place to hide from it. I turned to see whether the bus was coming. I saw the road post for Grass Flower Arboretum. I looked down at my feet. My neck felt hot with sweat dripping down.

Sitting at the bus stop, I let 2 buses go by. Under the scorching sun, my head hurt & felt hot, and I hesitated, unable to make any decision. My body felt sticky with sweat and my shoulders ached from tension. Letting out a sigh, I leaned against the bus stop bench. The sun came directly down on my face. I couldn't keep my eyes open & my skin felt burnt.

I sensed someone sitting next to me. Strangely enough, it made me feel relieved & at ease. But when I looked, no one was there. The bus driver yelled, "Are you going to get on or what?"

I sat in the middle of the bus by the window. A lady holding a baby in her arms and the baby's grandmother sat closer to the driver and a middle school couple sat way in the back.

The bus started moving. It drove nonstop toward a place I had stayed away from all this time. I rubbed my arm & looked around. The air conditioned bus felt cold.

"I didn't know hydrangeas are summer flowers. I like hydrangeas." Only when I heard the young couple talk did I realize Grass Flower Arbetorum was a place of flowers and plants. I remembered the place was wet with sinking mud. To some, it was a place of excitement but to someone else, it was a place he wanted to forget. It wasn't fair.

I lowered my head & closed my eyes. That day I must've been sitting on the bus, excited & happy. I must've watched the changing scenery out the window with curious eyes, munching on cookies and singing with my friends. Because it was the day of the school picnic. I felt my hands & feet shaking.

I woke up at a thump. I must've dozed off after having stayed under the sun too long, all tensed up. The bus came to a stop. The other passengers must've gotten off; I couldn't see them.

It was raining outside. When I got on the bus, it had been broad daylight but now it was so dark that I had no idea what time it was. Lightning cut across the dark sky followed by thunder.

I peeked out from the bus door but no one was around. Covering my head with my hands, I ran to the entrance of the arbetorum. The rain sloshed down. Even before I could take a couple of steps, my trousers got wet. It was just like that day.

The school picnic day. My parents couldn't come so I walked alongside my teacher all day long. Despite my teacher's advice, I decided to go home by myself. It started to pour down when I was just outside the arbetorum gate. The sudden shower turned into the torrential rain where I couldn't see a thing. I was soaking wet and trembling with cold. Holding my backpack over my head, I ran. There was no one to help me and I ended up running toward the back gate of the arbetorum. There was a storage-looking building by the gate. I opened the door & walked in.