The hospital grounds were a lot more beautiful than Kyungsoo thought. Since Jongin had been coming in to visit, he was already used to the peaceful atmosphere. He looked around, then smiled at Kyungsoo. 

“I’m assuming you haven’t walked out here.” he said, based on Kyungsoo’s gaping expression. “It’s really pretty, right? It’s nice to always pass by here before walking inside the hospital. I feel a lot more comfortable out here than in there, to be completely honest.” 

Kyungsoo stayed silent and continued walking around the entrance area. It was decorated with both real and plastic plants, but it all somehow blended in together harmoniously. 

“Do you want to see the garden?” Jongin finally asked, hoping that the other man would agree. He had been there multiple times—it had been well-kept and looked gorgeous. Even for one of the best officers in the district, those flowers had a way of melting his heart, and was sure that it would do the same for Kyungsoo as well. 

“There’s a garden? Why would a hospital have a garden?” he asked curiously. Jongin could only shrug in response. He had speculated that it was probably for aesthetic reasons, since the building itself looked more like an asylum than a hospital. When picturing it with the flowers scattered around, it felt safer, at least in his opinion. “Well, sure, I guess.” he finally replied. 

Jongin smiled and gestured for Kyungsoo to followed him. He walked towards the the right-hand side of the hospital building, which revealed a wide alley. It was mostly filled with granite stones and one too many pebbles. There were a variety of shrubs adorning both sides. Kyungsoo had to admit, he had never seen that many shades of green before. It was a long alleyway, too; they had walked for about ten seconds and he swore that staying in the hospital for so long (three days) had made him weak. He felt like his knees would buckle any moment, but trudged on. Honestly speaking, he was curious. He had never heard of a garden that was owned by a hospital before. Besides, it wouldn’t hurt to take a look. 

“Alright, we’re here.” Jongin turned and spread his arms out to display the beauty of nature. It wasn’t a garden—it was a completely functional greenhouse. Inside, there were all kinds of species filling both the perimeter and the middle with wide walkways for visitors. Amazed, Kyungsoo walked inside, turning curiously at the plants and flowers. There were rows and rows of them; each new section had a small chalkboard sign to label what the specie was called. The air was still crisp and easy to breathe in as well, which he found quite interesting with all the plants around. The entire place was massive. It had so many varieties that it baffled him. There were echinops, witches’ butters, and even cape sundews, to Kyungsoo’s surprise. Many of the plants were not native to this area. However, it didn’t take a green thumb for him to realize that each pot was cared for with much love, since they were all so healthy. 

There were a lot of people walking around as well, though many were patients. He reckoned that like him, they all needed a break from the stuffy hospital room every once in awhile. If it wasn’t for Jongin, he wouldn’t have known this place existed at all. 

As they continued walking around, taking in the beauty and subtle scents, Jongin subconsciously grabbed Kyungsoo’s hand and pulled him towards one of the doors. The warmth took Kyungsoo by surprise, but didn’t try to resist. Jongin’s hand was bigger than his, and enveloped it comfortably. Kyungsoo looked at the back of the other man’s head, wondering if he was secretly liking the feeling as well.

Jongin led him out to an actual garden. Like the greenhouse, it was huge and had a gazebo placed splat in the middle of it. It seemed to be used more for aesthetic purposes, and to his relief, there weren’t many people around. There was less noise, which brought serenity to the atmosphere. Walking next to Jongin, Kyungsoo pulled a couple flowers closer. They weren’t as exotic as the ones inside the greenhouse. The design of each was very simple as well as small. He smiled.

“Hey, let’s go to the gazebo! There’s no one in there right now.” Jongin suggested. He walked towards it, not waiting for a response. He didn’t need one anyway, because Kyungsoo already had the same idea. As they reached it, the gazebo turned out to be more and more beautiful. Its pillars were a classic, porcelain white hue with sky blue designs snaking down each one. Upon closer inspection, the designs were swirling into mini hearts; Kyungsoo thought it was the cheesiest thing ever, but under the right circumstances, it would be the most romantic place to be. What would it be like to stand face to face with Jongin in that kind of situation? He laughed to himself, embarrassed for even thinking about it. Jongin took note of his adorable smile, but was noticeably confused. 

“What are you thinking about?” Jongin asked. 

“Oh, nothing. The view here is really nice! I didn’t expect someone like you would know of a place like this.” 

“Someone like me? Seems like you don’t know me that well then.” he couldn’t help but feign dramatic offense. 

“Well, we still have the next three days to get to know each other.” 

“Just three, huh?”

Kyungsoo thought he heard a tinge of disappointment in Jongin’s voice, but shrugged it off. There was no reason for him to; they had barely known each other anyway. 

“You know, I didn’t expect to spend my week like this.” 

“Yeah, I’m really sorry.” Jongin glanced out into the garden, afraid to face the smaller man. He truly was apologetic. He wouldn’t have been able to live with himself had Kyungsoo not survived the shot. They both walked over to the bench and sat down. 

“You got me out of working for a week at least.” he chuckled at his own joke, but didn’t hear any other laughter. He figured Jongin was sulking again. 

“Hey,” he reached out to touch the other man’s shoulder and smiled. “I’m alive, aren’t I? And you’re paying for my hospital bills!” Jongin snorted and continued looking at the flowers surrounding the gazebo. It was true, he couldn’t get rid of the guilt. Especially after that lecture from his chief, it was difficult to get rid of the negative feelings. However, nature contributed greatly to bringing peace and quiet to the two of them. This had been the first time in days where Kyungsoo felt even remotely relaxed. The moment was unfortunately interrupted when Jongin’s phone started ringing. With a quick sorry, he whipped out his phone and answered the call. 

“Hello, Chief? Yes, it’s Kim Jongin. Right now? I’m about 15 minutes away, is it urgent? Yes, of course. I’m on my way.” Jongin looked at Kyungsoo apologetically. With an understanding nod and smile, Kyungsoo shooed the other man away.