Cityscapes (Jumin Han x OC)

Chapter 31

I walked into the rose garden at a slower pace than Jumin, giving him time to walk quickly towards the small garden shed, sat perfectly in the middle of the room. He came out with his shears, and this time, had on gloves so that he wouldn't prick himself.

"So, perhaps you might feel better about your situation if you had a plan?" Jumin asked as he took a single rose out of a bush, and began to dethorn it.

I knelt down next to him. "You might be on to something."

"Well, I'm not going to lie, and you need to listen very carefully. You can't get upset either."

"I'm listening."

"Everything we do in private can be us. It can be the two of us, being us. Outside of here though? It's an act," Jumin announced, picking up another rose, and proceeding to dethorn it. "So while it may be us, it's us in our most perfect forms. Meaning...you didn't sleep at my apartment last night. We're going to sneak you out the back, and then we're going to meet at the location with my father, and I am going to surprise you with a bouquet of flowers."

"Oh," I sighed.

"And you're going to wear a modern hanbok. I will have to wear a suit. This is all quite silly, I know. My plan is that when I get the chance...we're going to live very quietly. Whenever you're ready to get married, that is."

"Whenever I'm ready? You are?" I asked confused.

"I'm ready for anything," Jumin answered, picking up another rose. He had no idea the potency of his words ever.

"I'd rather we take our time on that forefront. I just found out that every time I go out in public I'm putting on an act," I sighed.

"I figured you would've thought about that by now," Jumin answered, taking out yet another rose.

"No...I've never lived a life like this, so I didn't really think about all the mechanisms of it," I admitted.

"Well, at least you know now...I suppose," Jumin sighed. "But...I'll give you the details of the plan in due time."

"At least I get flowers out of it," I mumbled.

~
Jumin led me out the back of his building to a small black car. The afternoon had gone quite crazy. Jumin went through far too much effort to guarantee that now that the world knew we were together, they thought we were perfect, especially as we go to meet his father.

While Jumin could pull himself into a suit, do a styling of his hair, and know exactly how to accessorize, I had no idea. A personal shopper bought me a modern hanbok that was a navy blue skirt with a floral top. It didn't go past my ankles and was very simple. Enough to communicate tradition, but modern enough to communicate potential.

Not to mention hair and make up. I had my hair pulled up into a tight bun with just a few curls allowed to escape, and my face had been done up enough to show that I care about how I look but not so much to communicate vanity. Jumin...well...he knew this isn't how I would look myself, but nevertheless he accepted it as the reality of the situation. I took his cue.

Now, I sit comfortably in a small black car with windows so incredibly tinted that there's no way for anybody to look through and see me. We wait now for 5 minutes. That's enough time for Jumin to get a head start on us to the location.

Ugh. This whole thing feels almost criminal. Almost silly in the way we have to sneak around just so that people don't think that we slept together, and so that the show Jumin can put on is enough to convince everyone that this isn't the act of a petulant child. This is the act of two adults, far beyond childish rebellion. Or...at least I like to think.

I like to think that this isn't simply Jumin's way of telling his father that he doesn't own him. I like to think this is more complex, but it's moments like this I suspect the relationship is far more one sided. It's moments like where he just wants me to sleep next to him to keep him warm where I feel guilty for ever thinking that.

But seriously? How unfounded are those thoughts? Which makes more sense? Jumin fell for a girl who dumped hot coffee all over him because she treated him differently by apologizing too much or that Jumin fell for a girl who he knew his father would dislike simply to upset him?

The driver pulled off finally, taking me on the long drive through the city to the small fancy restaurant where Jumin paced with his bouquet of flowers managing to look completely dissociated from the bay of reporters his security was keeping away. The car stopped just outside of the restaurant.

Jumin looked up from the ground he previously found so interesting and came over, opening the car door for me. He helped me up and immediately the slew of camera flashes nearly blinded me.

I remembered the plan though. Jumin handed me the bouquet of flowers, which I took and held in my right hand. I then stood still for about 5 seconds until he planted a soft and gentle kiss on my lips. He then, led me inside of the building, holding my left hand, as I held the flowers close to my chest. As soon as we arrived inside, I was thankful to see that the windows were tinted meaning no more paparazzi for now. I sat down on the small bench, staring at the flowers Jumin had arranged earlier, stringing through each individual petal, while Jumin spoke to the staff regarding something.

Jumin then gently placed his hand on mine and I looked up. He took my hand in his and whispered in my ear as I stood up.

"Great job out there. Let me do the talking here though, okay?" He whispered.

I nodded, and watched as the staff led us to a table in the back where I could quite clearly see Jumin's father.