Butterfly [j.jk]

삼십이

추억

time seems like a pair of wings when you spend it with a certain person. its like you don't have a single care in the world, you just live in the moment. you're carefree, but sometimes these moments in time are the ones that turn golden. a special fragment that you keep framed in your heart. and like a butterfly, time came flying as joy danced along the air. after what felt like only seconds passing, they've finally reached their destination for the day.

"so, what do you think?" they stand by an open field, the spring wind lashing strongly along with the beaming sun. it was a big change from their simple encounters at the garden. the girl remained still with yet a single word to utter and so he stood with anxiousness, instinctively fiddling his fingers as he waits.

her eyes are fixed at the view, seeming lost in the scene. "it's like something out of a painting." slowly, a flower-like smile carves upon her lips.

an open field of an array of flowers, the sight of the glistening lake, and a blanket on the grass overlooking spring at its peak blossom. it was everything she had told him, everything she had pictured, if not more. a sight that she dreamed of making her heart melt.

"do you like it?" jeongguk asks as she hasn't spoken in a while. however there were no words coming to mind and all she could do was nod excitedly.

the boy straightens out their picnic blanket before he offers her to take a seat. "i'm so hungry." the boy whines as he's been holding his empty stomach since morn. he quickly pulls out a frail basket with a red bow and sets it in between them.

he shyly takes out a pack of sandwiches. no crusts, cut into triangles, and filled with strawberries and honey. it looked no different from how it was before. the only difference is, he was the one making it this time.

"sorry about the sandwiches," he says with a bashful grin, "it was the only picnic food that came to mind that i knew how to make, unless you want cold ramyeon." they both giggle.

nari was first to take a bite, followed by guk. "oh," the girl mutters, seemingly in shock, "it tastes really good." cheeks still full of food, she throws a thumbs up and a cheeky smile.

the boy laughs. it even tasted the same as it did years ago, he thought. the sweetness of strawberries and honey hitting him like it was just yesterday.

but those days weren't as beautiful as the spirit of spring he was now sitting in.

-

it was like the playfulness in the spirits of spring were present as it came to play. out of nowhere a gush of breeze came in full force in nari's direction, making her wavy locks hit her face right before she was going to take a bite of her sandwich. the boy giggles at the amusing sight, "do you need help?" he asks while still laughing. she helplessly nods with a mouthful of food.

the boy reaches for the hair tie on her wrist. it sat right beside the familiar bracelet he had gifted her in christmas.

"do you know how to tie hair?" nari asks as he scooches behind her. all he does is chuckle, "i think?" the boy mutters, sounding more like a question than a statement.

to make things short, the first attempt was mess to say the least. the boy would sometimes pull strands of her hair on accident, and somehow he ended up with his fingers tangled in the hair tie. "are you sure you know what you're doing?" she asks, concerned for the well-being of her hair as he untangles his hands for his second attempt.

the boy settles for a simple, low ponytail. because there was no chance he could do a proper one without getting trapped in that hair tie again. "done!" he exclaims looking at his work. there were a few strands hanging loose and it wasn't the cleanest it could've been, but oh well.

as soon as he finishes, the spring breeze thought it would be funny to pull a part two. it seemed like it had a lot of tricks up its sleeve and once again a big gush of wind strikes them, this time in jeongguk's direction.

"your hair has gotten a lot longer than when we first met." she giggles, gazing at his wavy raven hair that slapped his face from the breeze. all of a sudden, an idea hits her.

she hurriedly scooches behind the boy. "what are you doing?" he protests, but he doesn't really do anything to stop her.

moments later, "voila!" the girl exclaims, handing him a tiny mirror. she cracks of laughter an all he could do was sigh. the girl had given him pigtails and he hasn't seen her laugh this much.

she snatches his camera, "cheese!" she shouts, but still the boy smiles. a bunny-like smile and doe eyes meet the camera.

"let's take one together." the boy suggests and they quickly get in place. they sit beside each other, jeongguk with tiny pigtails and nari with a train wreck of a ponytail, a huge contrast to the view of the endless field and the glistening lake behind them. it was all giggles and laughs.

three,     two,     one,  

cheese!