Strangers ~ A Taemin Fic

Chapter 18

     We arrived at his house, only parking on a different side that I didn't get to see last time. 'Gosh, it's so big that I've never even seen this side,' I think as he takes my hand and leads me out of the car.

     "Close your eyes," he chuckles, bringing my hands up to my eyes where they took away my vision. I blush at the feeling of his hands on mine, making sure I wouldn't peek. He's felt behind me, urging me forward but being cautious of any rocks or holes on the earth.

     "I'm scared," I giggle, my voice shaky as he laughs in return.

     "Don't be," he whispers in my ear before suddenly stopping on what felt like a cobblestone pathway. "What do you smell?" He then asks.

     I furrow my eyebrows and sniff the air, a rich, sweet smell entering my lungs. Exhaling, I smile widely at the familiar scent. "Japanese Cherry Blossoms," I breathe, his hands removing from mine.

     As soon as my eyes adjusted, I gasped at the beautiful scene. Dozens of blossoming trees lined the pathway on either side, it's flowers falling left and right as if it were snow. I cup my hands and raise them up as one floats my way. Catching it, I gaze at the pink, sweet smelling flower.

     "Do you like it?" He asks, holding his hand behind his back and walking in front of me while admiring the trees.

     "W-when did you...how did you..." I stammer in disbelief. He knew my favorite flower. 'Did he also make this just for me?'

     "That day you first visited my home, I noticed you holding a flower in your hand. I immediately recognized it once calling you out on your flower picking and I admired the way you looked at that flower: as if it was the most precious thing on earth," he explains, holding out his hand and catchin a few before letting them fall to the petal-covered path. "So I prepared these for you, straight from Japan."

     "Oh Taemin," I sigh. My eyes land on him standing perfectly beside a tree. His head turns to find me staring before gesturing his head over to him.

     I do as he says and join his side where he was gazing at something on the trunk. It was then that I noticed Japanese writing carved into the wood. It was my name with a Cherry Blossom carved beside it.

     "Oh my god, Taemin," I shakily exhale, holding my mouth shut to avoid him hearing my emotional state. I hadn't seen this many trees since I left Japan. In fact, that was the last sight I saw before going to the airport.

     I feel a set of large hands caress my forearms before pulling me into a hug. I could feel petals and flowers falling in my hair and on my clothes, only making the moment more memorable.

     "I take it you like the gift then?" He asks, his voice humming against my chest. Looking up with teary eyes, I gently remove a flower from his shoulder and raise it to his ear. There, I tuck it amongst his blonde hair that I'll forever adore. "You look so pretty when you're concentrated," he chuckles and tucks a few lose strands behind my own ears.

Unfocusing my attention from the flower to his eyes, I dive deep into the brown swirls and fall into what felt like a hypnosis. He grins at my staring, his pearly white teeth making an appearance before hiding away again as he kisses my forehead.

"You have no idea how much these flowers mean to me," I begin, unraveling my arms from around him to begin my walk down the path. He follows next to me, continuing to listen even during my pause. "I used to be very very wealthy back home in Tokyo. In fact, I could even say I was as wealthy as you."

I exhale as I recall everything that he needed to know about me. "I got whatever I wanted as a child until at 16 I told them I wanted to go to Seoul to train as a dancer. That's what upset them because I was raised to marry and have children. So when the topic of that career came up, they began to do everything they could to change my mind."

Our walk slows down in order to listen more as well as tell. I hold my hands behind my back as I watched my feet step slowly one in front of the other. "I left on October 14th 5 years ago with only 100,000 yen that paid for my ticket and a bus to the agency. That was their last gift to me: a ticket out of their life."

I pause, my brows knitting together in the center of my forehead in thought. I couldn't grasp the idea of me just telling him stuff that I've never even told Talia or Yoora; just Wooseok. "Sorry you had to hear that. I tend to bore my listeners," I chuckle, shrugging nervously.

My shoulder is grasped and I'm pulled to a stop. Looking back, I see his face soft with emotion. I saw past his mirage and felt a warmth grow in my heart at the sight.

"Yuki, I'm sorry this is what your life has come to," he apologizes, going down to my hand where he intertwines it in his. "I want to do whatever it takes to satisfy you because I can't imagine what you've gone through in less than a decade..." he trails off, a thought suddenly coming to his mind. "I just...still think you're so young. It feels almost criminal of me to offer my help because of what people on the outside will think."

He had a point and I couldn't understand more. "It does feel different because I remember watching you on television ever since I was a girl." Taking a deep breath, I say something I've been wanting to tell him for a long time. "But I don't want to let our 6 years of difference to take away something I've been wanting and needing for 5 years..."

His eyes meet mine and I take his other hand in mine. I gaze down at our conjoined hands holding one another in case one decided to let go. "My mind's been telling me to not take you in...but I can't help but want and Jesus, Taemin...you make me want you more badly every day."