Belonging Season

8: Petals Of The Moonlight

The sun hid behind the horizon, painting the sky with pink and orange shades. The world unknowingly witnessed a sunset of love and fate that would soon cast its glow on the boy wearing a blue shirt and black pants, strolling down the streets of Seoul. Bicycles and cars drove by at slow paces, as if wanting to keep praising the sun that had already returned to its home.

Stars glinted in the orange and dark blue sky, which would soon be the only blue left, with the moon enhancing its undefined beauty.

The boy stopped in front of "Veiled Florals," a flower shop covered in flowers and adorned with an aesthetic theme of peaceful atmosphere. It was like a little escape away from the world.

The brunette entered the shop, accompanied by the jingling sound of the bell and a welcoming voice. His eyes roamed and admired the tranquil atmosphere inside the flower shop, realizing that they also had a bookstore above this floor. It was just like those books people talked about.

His eyes unknowingly fell on the white roses at the corner of the shop, and a feeling of comfort warmed his chest. It was as if those flowers didn't belong at the corner of the shop; they rather belonged to someone his heart couldn't chant the name for now.

Desperate to have at least a single flower in his hand, to just stop this sudden feeling right away, he reached the order desk. His voice was a bit hesitant as he asked the old lady standing beside the counter.

"Excuse me, Grandma! M-may I have just one white rose? I promise that I'll come back to buy a bouquet someday, promise. Please, can I?"

His voice sounded a little urgent, as if he wouldn't get the flower right away, he would maybe lose his mind.

A smile curved on the grandma's lips as she spoke in a gentle voice, "Sure, my child. Take this rose, here." Forwarding the white rose towards him, the lady patted his head, making Jeongguk smile widely with his teeth peeking out a little like a bunny.

"How much do I need to pay, Grandma?" he asked while taking out his wallet from his back pocket.

Only to be stopped by the woman's words, "Oh no, dear! Take it as a gift, hmm! I just hope that this rose reaches the person your heart yearns for."

Her hand still caressed his shoulder with her wrinkled and aged hands. His breaths stopped hearing her words, as if someone had just understood his emotions and cravings before he did.

He nodded with a soft smile and said goodbye, promising to return very soon.

As he walked out of the flower shop, glancing back at it with a smile on his lips, he ran towards the Han River, feeling that something would happen very soon - something unexpected, something beautiful.

While the lady smiled seeing Jeongguk leaving the store and running towards his destined fate.

Young love.

The wind danced through the waves of the river, along with the glitters shining in the water, caused by the full moon reflecting in it. It started twinkling like those beads of diamonds adorning the night sky, with lamp lights falling upon the bridge, attracting those few fireflies towards them. Feet strolled and kicked small stones on the way while walking back and forth, lost in thoughts and voices repeating in his head like a tape recorder.

It was past 8 O'clock at night, with few vehicles running towards their desired destination. Taehyung lost in his thoughts, with a black hood covering his face and his hand tucked in the hoodie's pocket, stopped at the middle of the bridge, looking far ahead.

His thoughts ran back to the events that happened at his house and the hospital - the way his so-called mother insulted him, cursed him for being the reason for his father's bad health and injury, as if his father wasn't the one who was so ready to beat him to death like every other day.