the garden / insomnia and stars daegu, south korea 12:13 a.m.
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the midnight sky was littered with innumerable luminous stars; a galactic trace of wishes that had been echoed into the universe by cracked lips. some were whispered through tears others were made when joy overflowed the heart space and rippled throughout one's being. despite stemming from different emotions, heartbreak paired with hilarity, together they painted the sky into a masterpiece that exuded allure. it was truly a sight to behold; an intangible paradise that was indulged in by unsatisfied souls and dim eyes. but tonight a pair of unusually fulfilled hearts taken over by insomnia decided to drink from the gaia's ancient remedy that cured restlessness and anguish alike. here, within soft rays of moonlight stories of the past were delicately whispered into the listening ear of a child.
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it had been two hours since the man brought his daughter to outskirts of town. in between two trees a purple hammock was tied and for the night it would be their shelter. it was here that he spent most of his sleepless night and he figured the tepid summer air would allow them to succumb to sleep but much to his dismay he was still wide awake. as his slated hued eyes traced over the constellations, he chuckled to himself remembering how often he used to sit on the roof of his home despite his mother's wishes just to watch the stars. but many things changed and he had not taken the time to look up like he once did.
in fact, it had been years since the man had admired the stars and how they shined for the ungrateful but somehow it felt as if it was just yesterday where he was a child surrounded by wildflowers and petrichor. if he were being honest it was moments like this that he cherished most during his childhood. it was not the extravagant feasts nor the trouble that he and his friends always managed to conjure up without fail but the moments in which he spent alone amongst nature. the earth calmed his fickled being and for his undying affections, it gifted him with something that he never expected.
"appa?" a soft voice called breaking through the silence of the night.
almost instantly the man's attention was pulled from the heavens and returned to the child nestled beside him, her wide eyes held an entire universe of their own captive and her face was that of a beautifully handcrafted doll. upon noticing that her father's attention belonged to her - a satisfied smile found its way to her rose-hued lips and for a moment she resembled her mother. the man often wondered in a world were riches were so eagerly sought after how did he manage to end up with two of the most exquisite gems to be found on earth. he did not understand then but, god always had his best interest at heart.
"yes, daehyun?"
"will you tell me a story?" she mumbled, brushing obsidian ringlets of hair from her round face.
the man raised his eyebrows considering it seemed like forever since he told her bedtime stories. he figured that she was much too old to entertain his words anymore but, a longing to hear a father's wisdom never expired with age. daehyun always cherished what was said amongst the two and without his knowledge, she kept vivid details of every story he told in the back of her mind. it was comforting to remember things as they were when the innocence of childhood was still a fresh feeling.
his heart which was already joyful in nature instantly expanded only to realize that her imagination was far too lush to be quenched by his simple stories of childhood adventures. he had nothing to offer her complex mind causing his high spirits to plummet. the spirit of youth evaded her frame years ago and she no longer wished to hear of mystical waterfalls and battles between dimensions. with an embarrassed sigh, he decided to avoid this act of fatherhood this once but just as he dismissed her desires a tugging began in his heart and the familiar scent of lavender tapped against his nose. an epiphany occurred within seconds and his blank mind was filled with words to answer her unusual but sincere request.
the man sighed once more, before infusing his fantasies with daehyun's simple reality. her ears eagerly awaited to absorb every word that echoed from his lips and his heart was anxious to tell. after all, this particular fairytale had always been close to his heart and nothing warmed his child's soul more than memories of love itself. lingering on the twinkling paradise which in this dormant hour seemed to gleam for two he smiled beginning his tale with words familiar to every child dotting the earth.
"once upon a time, there was a prince whose heart lacked luster and empathy alike. he was cold much like an enduring blizzard stemming from unsatisfaction which so eagerly dripped from the heart. he had not always been like this but life as royalty had an interesting way of changing the warmest of souls into an eternal bitterness. however, for the prince, there was a GARDEN just beyond the brick walls of his kingdom and this is where his winter turned to spring. it was a scenic combination of earth's beauty paired with god's mercy reflected into a pair of brown eyes. much like the prince's secrets, cupid also resided in the garden and without asking the stars for approval he shot arrows of love into the hearts of two unsuspecting souls. and as fate would have it here amongst budding flowers and handcrafted skies, romance abounds."
