CHAPTER 002

❋Et Puis La Giroflée Fleurit❋

"But I can help you make it if you want" He suggested sincerely.

"The extract?"  I reaffirmed getting excited; at that time I wanted to scream yes.

"Yeah! Of course" He nodded along but unknowingly I screwed it up with my answer: "I'll think about it and let you know"

*Think about it? Rin! You moron!* I scolded myself.

"Oh! sure then!" He obviously was taken aback.

Following the embarrassement and the awkward mood I created, I directly turned away to leave. But soon after I could sense him walking right behind me. It kept irking me thus I turned around blocking his way as I stared blankly without saying a word.

"Is there a problem?" He asked feeling puzzled.

"Well...." I hummed and hawed finding words to utter thereupon he surprisingly read my mind and continued: "Ah! If my walking behind you somehow bothered you, I can walk to the fore" 

Finally and almost when I missed the boat it hit my mind that he was actually my university mate no other than that so I quickly tried to cover it up as I stammered: "No! It's just... The thing is ... Yeah! I forgot my way...to the university, can you help...me?"

Tae Yong  POV :

She obviously made that answer up so I tried to bother her more as I told: "I'll think about that and let you know" I teased.

"Eh?" She gave me a perplexed look.

"Just kidding" I chuckled at her then carried on: "in that case, I'll walk ahead of you, you can follow" I then stepped ahead, she followed behind with heavy steps but since my pace was quicker than hers, I assumed she would ask to walk together. For, I anticipated her calling my name and as soon as she did, I directly turned to her in the speed of light and stared at her with a blank face; startled by that, she blinked twice at me then added: "Well...Something is stuck in your hair" She said as she carefully brushed it off and blew it in the air.

I was flustered by that as I froze for a moment staring at her.

Right after that, a group of girls passed by us as they mumbled some words directing Yerin.

"Oh! Isn't that the outcast of last year? What was her name again?" One of  them stated.

"I never knew her name anyway, she got herself a boyfriend" Another one added.

"He's pretty goodlooking! Why would he go out with such a girl" The third affirmed.

I was about to talk back for her until she grabbed my hand and held it tightly preventing me from speaking up. I looked up to her and noticed her pale face and her hands were trembling along so hard that mine trembled as well.

Watching how weak she seemed, I couldn't help but embrace her tightly along my chest. I was still able to hear the loud whispers of the girls.

"Let's go! they are obviously acting all lovey&dovey" 

Soon after they left I let go of her, obviously she thunderstruck and was unable to utter a word. Who knew such a friendly and bright girl would have been a victim of bullying. We had been neighboors since I was  6 years old, even though we barely knew each other, I never was able to tell.

❀ FLash-Back❀

Narration :

In the neighborhood Park.

Yerin: 6 years old.

Taeyong: 6 years old.

Whilst children were each busy playing different games in groups; boys playing soccer, and girls playing rope-jumping and some with their dolls.

Little Taeyong was alone in one corner planting a wallflower carefully.

He placed the wallflower into the hole prepared for it and as he was filling in the empty space around the flower land; Yerin slided next to him as she checked on his work.

"Ah! You're planting a wallflower? That's cool" She cheered as she sat in a duckling position hugging her knees.

He blinked at her twice surprised that she could tell right away and continued covering the top of the root ball.

"This isn't the way to do that" She scolded him confidently.

"Huh? Who are you?" He popped the question.

"My grandmother always said that if you want to bloom beautiful flowers you should be gentle and soft while raising it, treat it like a baby!" She added with a smile, even though her words were voice, her korean accent wasn't fluent which screwed it and Taeyong instead demanded: "Are you Korean?" with question marks.

"Ah! I was caught!...I only came to Korean yesterday, I used to live in California and I am here with my brother and Grand-mother" She brightly answered him.

"California? Where's that?" He asked.

"That...It's a really big city...This big! They sell really delecious burgers there" She innocently explained whilst Taeyong get immersed with her narration.

"That's cool" Taeyong commented.

"I know right?... By the way, Why aren't you playing with the rest?" Yerin asked him confused.

"It's no fun" Taeyong replied honestly.

"Yeah! I find it least entertaining too but it's not right to keep this up, I mean we must interact with people, we learn from them and they learn from us. We need people" She wisely advised.

Taeyong just stared at her continusously as her words got right through his heart.

❀ End Of FLash-Back❀

Tae Yong  POV :

That was our first interaction ever...probably. To  that child, Yerin was a ray of light any flower is in need of to bloom; and she made the loneliness that grew in my small heart grow into hope; she was that kind of miracle to me, I used to linger around the same place we met for weeks but she  surprisingly never showed up again, at not least to me. 

"You were caught in surprise, right? I'm sorry" Yerin tried to cheer up in front of me obviosuly but I didn't say anything back and just gaped at her blankly thus she added: "I'll go first then"

I blocked her way as I suggested: "I have to show you something somewhere"

"Now? But we'll be late" She told.

"You won't reject me twice,will you? Besides...we still have 10 minutes to go" I asserted.

She thought for awhile then brightly answered: "Let's go!"

I smiled and told: "We're likely to run late if we don't walk fast, so can you manage to?"

"Of course, you know I used to rank first in running back in my P.E class, do you want to test that?" She informed me as she already started running straight ahead in the wrong way, because she didn't even bother to ask me where we heading.

I chuckled at her as I stood still watching over her walking as fast; she only stopped when she faced a crossroad, she turned to me as she yelled for me to hear her.

"Oh! Why are you still there?!...Where do I go next?" She said out loud.

"The way is actually from here" I yelled back while pointing at my back.

"Eeeeh??" she complained, I could hear her groaning from afar.

"I'll go first then" I teased as I started running before her yet keeping a certain distance for her to catch up for me.

After awhile she caught up for me and cheered: "Yey! I got you!... But seriously, where are we heading?" She asked as shez noticed we were heading to our neighborhood.

I stopped running and walked instead as I replied: "You'll figure that out soon"

She kept quiet as she followed my steps slowly until we reached our destination. We walked our way to the yard we used to go as kids.

"Oh! This brings a lot of memories" She said as she checked and examined each corner until I broke her exciement: "We don't have much time to waste, come here I'll show you what we came here for"

I walked her to a corner where there were a small area filled with wallfowers.

"What is it?" She asked curious.

""My grandmother always said that if you want to bloom beautiful flowers you should be gentle and soft while raising it, treat it like a baby!" I repeated the words she told me back then accurately that she was able to remember right away: "No way! Is that really you?" 

I nodded with a beam.

"Back then you used to wear braces and always had glasses on, that's why!!" She said as she studied my face up close.

"That's right! how couldn't I tell!" She added and I started feeling uncomfortable so I backed off from her as I told: "That's not the important thing...we're here because I had to tell you something"

"What' is it?" She asked with question marks.

"These flowers, I planted them all following your advice at that time; as you can see, they all bloomed beautiful flowers and so did I, I was able to break the walls I built before and opened up to others; it was thanks to you...Therefore I wish you'd work with the advise you gave me as well, I really would like it if you bloomed as well and always look up to the sky." I told.

"Ah! Why's it like that! If I had known you'd turn me this emotional I would have just rejected you" She said as she tried to block the tears which were well formed  in her eyes.: "Ah!! What do I do, really!!" She added.

"Just let them out, even plants need rain to grow;you can't possibly be stronger than plants" I tried to lighten up the mood but queerly she ended up shouting back instead: "Yes, I am!"

She then stared up to the sky preventing her tears from falling down her cheeks. I was astoniched by how serious she was trying to do that, so I held up my two thumbs and placed them right below the cheekbones under her eyes. She was clearly taken aback by that so I ordered: "Close your eyes"

She followed my instructions and her eyeslashes dropped the tears down my fingertips.

"You can open them now" I said before taking my hands off.

She slowly did as I said and blinked twice to clear her view.

"See! They are all gone now" I said as I grinned at her.

"Thank you" She sincerely told while looking right into my eyes. 

We stood silent for a moment and then I broke the ice as I checked the time and we were 2 minutes away from getting late.

"Oh my god, we have 2 minutes left" I informed.

"WHAT?!" she shouted.

"You said you ranked first, right?" I asked her.

"Yes!" She said as she panicked.

"Then it's high time, you used your talent" I replied and we started running with all our mights as if our lives were in the line. That was a moment to be appreciated truthfully, I thanked god for sending me such a person to cherish.