Butterfly [j.jk]

사십사

소중한 추억

blossoms of powdered pink wave to the blooming sun as it sways to the sweet melodies of spring.

under the cotton candy sky, she gazes upon the cherry painted trees in a daze. "how are we here?" she turns to the boy with wide eyes. there was a visible glimmer in her gaze that gleamed in wonder.

the girl stays still, everything was too much to fathom. "we drove here, duh." the boy says jokingly getting a punch in the arm from nari. "i'm kidding, i'm kidding!" he flinches.

"you said you wanted to see the cherry blossoms in spring and it seemed like there were none back home. so i asked a bunch of people where it looked the most beautiful," a subtle smile carves upon his lips as he spoke. "if it was your first time seeing it then i want it to be the best; the most special. so that you can add a few cherry blossoms in your sketches for your butterflies."

and her heart skipped a beat. cheeks as red as the blossoms as he smiled.

still like stone, she stood in silence. at the moment she couldn't find any words to express what she felt. there was happiness, shock, gratitude— even ones she weren't familiar with. it was too much emotions to register at once. and jeongguk giggles, finding her amusing.

the boy runs off to one of the many trees, taking a seat beneath the cherry blossoms. he gently pats the space beside him, "nari-ah!" he calls out.

side by side, they watch the petals of powdered pink dance in the spring wind as it gently falls to the ground. he watched her in glee as she admired each blossom with a gleam akin to those blossoms they sat beneath, with a smile as lovely as spring.

jeongguk too, gazes at the cranberry pink blossoms. "renewal." the boy mutters softly. he catches nari's attention and she tilts her head at the boy. "cherry blossoms, it symbolizes renewal." he utters once more.

an amused expression grows on the girl's face. "wow," she claps in amazement. "how'd you know?" she asks.

he whispers, "i've been learning from the best." and the two giggle.

slowly, the sun waves goodbye to nature and night drapes over the sky. an expanse of stars greet them hello. not a drop of euphoria passes by and jeongguk and nari are still filled with joy.

with high spirits, they walk along the glowing path alongside the countless of cherry blossoms. a sight that still makes her heart thump with each step she takes. every inch of glee remains and her smile didn't seem to fade. moments like these were just things she heard in stories, but now she was living the reality of it. she was walking along a flower path just like the countless stories she had listened to as a little girl.

and it was all because of jeongguk.

"thank you." she softly mutters as they stroll, though not sparing a glance.

"how many times are you going to say that?" the boy chuckles and she cracks a laugh as well.

"but really, thank you. i had a lot of fun." she repeats.

"you don't have to say that." the boy shakes his head, "compared to what you've done for me, it's nothing. you've taught me a lot of things and i'm really grateful for everything." they stop in their tracks and he finally turns to her, eyes locking "i never really had a chance to say this but— i'm sorry." he looks at her with apologetic gaze and a heavy sigh escapes his chest. "when we first met i was really a—"

the girl cuts him off, "a massive, arrogant, stuck-up, grumpy—"

"okay, okay, i get it." he giggles. scratching his head bashfully, "sorry about that..."

"it's fine." she replies with a reassuring grin, "what matters most is now you're way happier now, right?"  it took him a second to think but he smiles back and nods.

soon, the night grows deeper and more stars join the twinkling sky above. with a happy heart nari bids the cherry painted trees farewell. "see you next spring!" she shouts, waving her hand in the air.

"let's get going?" the boy asks and they get back on the road. they leave, not empty handed, but with a multitude of memories and stories to tell.

"did you forget anything?" the thoughtful boy asks before he starts the car. a warm silence greets him as he was met with no reply. "nari-ah?" he calls out and instead of quietness there's a faint snore in response. nari was fast asleep the moment she hit the seats.

the boy sighs, "are you always this good at falling asleep?" he giggles, staring at her peaceful state with her eyes fluttered shut. without knowing, the corners of his lips lifted for a split second.

nari squirms in her seat and his smile fades. her hands coming up to hug her arms as she slightly shivers. jeongguk quickly reached over to the backseat and grabs a blanket, softly draping it over her. he makes sure it was snug and warm and he sees her ease up, drifting deeper and deeper into dreamland.

he smiles, "goodnight, nari-ah."

a/n:
600 reads, already! i really can't thank you enough :(
a big thank you for supporting and reading butterfly up 'til now. love u lots!
</333