Tomatoes | [Sope]

Chapter One

It wasn't even a week later before the man saw the other two who had helped the man who owned the garden. He saw them just as they were about to pull the tomato plants from the soil.

"Wait!" he shouted as he rushed toward them. They turned and looked at him strangely.

"Can we help you?" the older one asked.

"Those plants aren't dead!" he insisted. "They can be grown back healthy. I can help!"

The other two men looked at each other. The younger shrugged. "Worth a shot, maybe?"

The older looked doubtful. "I don't think it's a good idea for him to come back here anymore either way."

"Please," the other man said. "I-I saw you three here the other day. Your friend looked so sad at the thought of these plants being dead. I... I want to help him save them. If you'll let me."

The older of the others raised a brow. "And who are you?"

"My name is Hoseok. I own a plot over there." He pointed toward his garden. The other two looked over his shoulder at the tall, healthy plants proudly displaying their red fruit.

"Well, if the tomatoes are any indication, he knows what he's doing," the younger said.

"I do!" Hoseok said quickly, then seemed to realize that he might sound arrogant. "I mean, I've just been doing this a long time. My grandmother taught me how to garden. I can recognize when a plant is hopeless. These aren't hopeless," he said, gesturing to the wilted stalks.

The older still looked doubtful, but the younger seemed eager. "Maybe we should hear him out, Jin."

The man named Jin sighed. "I don't know, Kook. He's been having such a hard time, and being here the other day didn't help at all..."

"But maybe if he could see the plants flourishing, it would raise his spirits," the man Jin had called Kook said excitedly.

Jin thought about it for a few moments, then turned to Hoseok with a sigh. "I guess if you want to work on them and see what you can do, you can. But I can't promise we won't be back to dismantle the garden regardless. Our brother-in-law, Yoongi - the man with us the other day - isn't in the best place to be giving this another shot. If he decides it's not a good idea, then we'll have no choice but to – "

"Please let him know that they're worth saving," Hoseok interrupted. "I'm sorry, I just really love plants, and it's a very rewarding thing to nurture something so fragile and watch it come back to life."

Kook looked at Jin with pleading eyes. "He needs something rewarding to happen."

Jin nodded. "I know. But I don't know if this – "

"If it should be anywhere, it should be here!"

Hoseok was beginning to feel a bit awkward. "Look, I don't want intrude on anything," he said. "I just want to help."

Jin sighed. "I appreciate it, Hoseok. You seem very kind. My name is Seokjin, or Jin, by the way. This is my little brother, Jungkook."

Jungkook immediately bowed with a broad smile. "If you can help save these tomatoes, you'd be performing a miracle for Yoongi."

Hoseok again observed the plants closely and shook his head. "It won't take a miracle," he said with assurance. "These plants aren't that far gone yet."

"He means a miracle for his spirit. Not to get too far into it, but Yoongi is in a difficult place in life right now."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Hoseok said honestly.