.

Flower

.

"Are you okay?" He asks while giving his hand, trying to help him.

Jonghyun looks at his untied shoelaces and sighs out of the embarrassing situation. He takes the other's hand to stand up while feeling the pain on his knee.

"Thank you."

He stares at the man's face, such a beautiful, flawless face. He is wondering whether he is seeing an angel right now. Besides, he realizes that something is different from him. His long hair has gone and the aura around him seems different. There is a bit of light around his face, like his expression is less gloomy than before.

How long has it been after their first and second meeting? Weeks? Or months?

"Really?" Ren asks for the second time to make sure Jonghyun is really okay which then followed by Jonghyun's reassuring smile. "Okay. Next time, please be careful." Ren gives a small smile. "Sorry if I'm violating the rules here. I'm going now."

He is going to say goodbye, but Jonghyun holds onto him. Ren looks puzzled of Jonghyun's action. He opens his mouth to ask, but Jonghyun's words are faster than his.

"Sorry."

"For what?"

"For that night."

***

Ren's college life was great; good friends, friendly sunbae, and nice marks. People were kind to him, always informed him whenever he missed the class and there was a change in the class schedule or when there were any assignment from the lecturers. His sunbae often invited him to hang out together though he rarely came because of his load of works. Even his scores were quite high for a busy boy like him.

Everyone loved him and everything was all good before. But he suddenly became the hot topic among the sophomore. No one dared to talk to him, even his closest friends. People avoided him like he was some disgusting insects. He was so busy with his works and unable to attend the classes he had, so he couldn't meet his 'friends' and knowing the rumor really late. What make him realize that he was avoided was his communication with his friends was slowly cut off. They were avoiding him one by one, not reading nor replying his messages, quickly got out of the room when he attended the class, and saw him like he was a ghost.

This happened after the rumor spread out among the students in his major. The rumor of him using many people for his own good and being rude to them. The rumor was everywhere on the community site, along with the 'evidence'. Not stopping on that, the rumor got bigger to the extent that it wasn't even logical to him anymore. His heart fell when he read those rumors. Those were all something he never did. The photos too, they even took it out of context. He didn't know, he didn't even know where they got that rumor and the worst thing was his friends just believed it like he ever did it to them.

He could never explain the truth to them.

They didn't want to hear it.

This problem really was a distraction to his works as public figure. His company's slow move regarding the rumor wasn't helping at all. They just demanded him to be always cheerful in front of camera and not to show his problem in public. Though, of course this didn't go as planned. The rumor started to go out to public. He was judged by people who didn't know who he is and the company's slow move had gave him no help.

He didn't know what to do. Every single move he took, he got bashed. It wasn't like he is a president or any important public figure, but people liked to talk bad about him. He was just a mere model that got a bit luck of popularity, nothing more. He was striving alone all this time in college. That was okay, but the rumor really made him uncomfortable.

There was a time when he was attacked by netizens in his personal acc. None could defend him other than himself. At that time, he just threw his phone away, so he could never see those harsh comments on the internet. He didn't dare to open his phone for a week because of the comments. He didn't want to remember those things they had said about him. His parents tried to complain to the company to do something, but his company had done nothing. They had spread out the good things Minki had done in the past, but were drowned by the bad things. They had done everything they could. He had no one to hold on to other than his parent, but his parents couldn't do anything for him to his company.

He decided to go out of the city to get some fresh air without telling anyone even his manager and family. He just needed sometime alone. When he decided to come back to the city, he was thrown a hundred of questions by the company because he neglected some works and the company had to lose million won.

He knew what he did was wrong, but the hypocrisy of his company was over the top. He'd talked to the company about the rumors and the bad comments, but the company just stayed silent. He couldn't bare the overwhelming sad feeling and rage inside him all the week. Unfortunately, around that week after the company's anger, he had an interview and some photoshoots. The company still ordered him to stay happy instead of their treatment toward him. He thought that was really an impossible order which then on the day of the interview and the photoshoots, he could only show his cold face, without smiling and no expression at all.

Since that, he was called the ice prince.

Though prince sounded nice, but for those who called him prince, it was meant for a sarcasm; someone who looked perfect, but was a spoiled little kid inside. This changed him entirely. People thought that he had no manner because he could care less about people around him. As long as his work was done, it was fine. He just got so ed up with everything around him. Inside, he wanted to do something other than what he was ordered to, but he could never.

He had become a machine with no heart.

ooo

The peak of his stress was that day, after the company decided to change his style to be more androgynous. They requested the stylist to make him had long hair. They also accepted an offer that required him to wear dresses. How he wore it didn't matter for him, he was a professional model anyway. What intrigued him was people's response over his style change. It also made him more noticeable in public and he couldn't go alone anymore.

His colleagues' response was good and only a few of people criticized him. All was good until some people reached him and tried to talk to him in more 'friendly' way. First impression was nice, but the third meeting wasn't. They tried to know him more by inviting him to parties. He accepted the first invite, but not the other. In the first and the last party, people were pulling him here and there, men and women, no exception. That time, almost three people pulled him to the corner of the room and started to touch him. He tried to be polite and just smiled to them. When things got more uncomfortable, he asked their permission to go to toilet. It was to distract them and make them realize that something like that was inappropriate.

That was his wish. Perhaps they didn't realize it.

He went to the toilet and called his manager. He couldn't go home alone at this point. He just wanted someone to rescue him in this situation and bring him home. He realized that most of the time, he wasn't that comfortable with strangers. It was even more uncomfortable with those people.

While waiting for his manager to pick the phone up, he squinted at the reflection on the big mirror in front of him; long black hair, long eyelashes, and big eyes. He knew that he was gorgeous, but that reflection was Ren, not Choi Minki. The guy inside him cried. He just wanted a friend he could depend on in all of his situations. He was happy that people recognize him, but most of the wanted to take advantage of him. They were not, even once, sincere about their words and actions.

He looked down, closing his eyes, while gripped on his phone tightly which he almost broke it. His manager didn't even answer his call. He didn't recognize the feeling inside him. Was it sadness, anger, or disappointment?

He wanted to quit being a model. He wanted to quit the college. He wanted to stop being a human. But everyone said to hold on, to try harder, until he reached his limit that night.

ooo

That night, in the library, when no one was around and he was alone. He was doing his assignment in library alone until midnight. And the librarian wasn't aware that he was there.

The lamps were turned out and he was locked inside the library. He continued his assignment with the help of the moonlight. Then, suddenly the moon on the sky caught his attention. He talked to the moon as if someone could hear him, but he realized that none could hear him. He was just a fool, talking to something that was far away and couldn't even see him struggling.

The breeze suddenly came to distract him. He followed it and found an open window. Bad thoughts came like a river flow; the thought of his friends distancing themselves because of false rumors flashing in his mind, the bad comments and his company mistreatment toward him, and the ual harassment he got from his fellow model. Those felt like hell. He wanted to bury himself under the rock and didn't come out again. His life was just really ed up. He wanted it to end. He wanted to end it all. He didn't care about people anymore. Were they even sincerely care about him?

Ending all of his suffering in a beautiful night like this wouldn't be bad.

He stood there, in front of the open window. He would like to say good bye to the moon. Or maybe they would meet again. That would be a happy encounter.

He had his courage collected. He took a step closer to the window, ready to go out of it.

But who knew that someone might come to him. A person came, clumsily drop the handful of books in his hand. The person stared at him in disbelief.

"Sorry." He said while taking the books from the floor.

He intended to help him collecting the scattered books on the floor, but he remembered what just he wanted to do before this. He suddenly felt hundred of emotion mixed in him.

"No need to be sorry." He said to the guy. He didn't know what to feel, so he just said whatever passed on his brain and left. He gritted his teeth all the way out of the library.

ooo

Since that day, he was avoiding the library. But it was more like avoiding that person who caught him who intended to kill himself. Maybe he didn't know what he intended to do, but that was something both relieving and embarrassing. He didn't go to library for days; he didn't even dare to go near it.

However, only god knows what one's fate is.

He met that guy again, in the crossroad having an argument with a car and his friend. A man with came out of the car window, talking loudly with angry tone. It seemed like their argument was a bit serious and he could only look at them. People, too. Nobody dared to stop them.

"What are you doing, you little ?!" He snapped.

"WHAT?" His big friend was triggered by the car owner. "Talk again if you dare!" He hit the car with his hand. "You are the one who almost hit him. He is the one who should be angry. Not you, ol-" That librarian stopped him and suddenly apologizing to the man. The man had his fist ready, but he went back to the car. He kicked the pedal after the librarian pulled his friend out of the road.

"You shouldn't hold me back, Jonghyun." He said with a high tone while forcefully letting go off his hand.

"I should." Jonghyun answered firmly.

"No."

"Dongho,"

"You." Dongho pointed his finger toward Jonghyun. "You shouldn't apologize to whatever things you haven't done." He moved his finger to the way the car had left.

"But, it's—"

Ren couldn't hear what they said after many cars were coming and he couldn't find the guys. Therefore, he walked off that place continued to go to his destination. However, along the way, he was thinking about the words Jonghyun's friend had said to him. He thought those words had some interesting fact that he had never realized before.

Could you just let it be when someone did bad or even harm you like that? He hadn't met someone like that before. He was one of a kind. He wondered why people like him still existed until now. How could he act kind and nice to people like that? That was the hardest thing to do in this harsh society, where people only judged others and didn't listen to anyone.

He should consider on going back to his human self.

ooo

Weeks later, he tried to collect his courage to come to the library. He wore a white beanie to cover his long hair. Fortunately, it was spring and wearing beanie wouldn't be a strange thing. Before coming into the library, he pulled his beanie down a little bit to cover his ears and tidying up his hair that came out of it. He looked at hid reflection on his car window, making sure that he wasn't that stand out.

There was nothing to worry about.

He reassured himself while putting his hand on his chest. He needed to look for some references. He took a hesitant step, but still stepped forward to the library main entrance. However, his first step on the room, he saw a group of girls coming to him. Those girls who like to show off their relation with popular people and then posted it in their instagram to get more likes and followers.

"OPPA!" One of the girls saw him. She waved to him like they were a really close friend. As a sunbae he could only respect them. And for someone who dared to get close to him.

At some point, he tried to be like Jonghyun, to be a human. He was yet able to be nice and kind to people. It was just hard to predict people intention toward him. He just didn't want his act of kindness to be taken advantage by those bad people. For these girls, at least they didn't do something to harm him. They just wanted people's attention and they didn't force things to him.

"Oh, hello." The girl had a small run and suddenly stopped in front of him. "How are you, Hayoung-a?" He smiled politely. The girl's bright expression like she had a crush on him, but to be honest, no, she wasn't. The gesture didn't say so. She just loved to be known by famous people like him.

"Finally, I'm able to see you again, oppa." Her friends at the back followed her and give him a small smile. "How long has it been?" She tilted her head, trying to look cute in front of him.

He hummed as if thinking about her question, "I wonder," again, he pulled a small smile on his lips. He didn't really remember the last time he met this girl, months, maybe? He rarely came to college because of his busy schedule. Meeting his fellow years people was hard, meeting her would be harder.

While thinking about that, someone pushed her. He was a bit startled by the sudden collision. He grabbed at her arm gently so she wouldn't bump hard into him. She was surprised too. She even closed her eyes, scared of what would happen next.

Grabbing onto her arm, he saw the person who pushed her. He had backpack on his back, his hair was messy as if he needed more sleep and to make it even more noticeable, he rubbed his eyes as if something was on his eyes. He looked like he was half asleep and still blinking hard when he was there apologizing.

Unfortunately, Hayoung who was shocked shouted at him.

"Ya! Don't you have eyes?!" She snapped. She was both embarrassed and shocked.

"Sorry. I didn't see you."

He bowed after Hayoung high note. He was wrong, but shouted like that wasn't right either. She kept on yelling at the man. Ren tried to assure Hayoung that that was okay, nothing of her hurt because that was just a small bump. She didn't hear what he said, he believed. He felt the heated situation around Hayoung and if his hand was a second late to hold hers, it would definitely be on his cheek.

Hayoung glanced at Ren who hold her hand tightly and Ren was aware of her glance. He made an eye contact with her, trying to talk to her that what she did was unnecessary.

"I'm sorry, but could I go inside?" The guy asked after he lifted up his head. It turned out that they were standing in front of locker room's door. And another surprise was the guy itself. Ren's eyes became wider after knowing who he was.

That was Jonghyun, the guy who he wanted to avoid the most right now.

He probably didn't recognize him right now, because he had hid his long hair under his beanie. Realizing that, he then nodded and pulled Hayoung away from the door to let him went inside.

"Why did you mad at him like that?" Ren scolded Hayoung, but she just went away. Probably mad at him for stopping her. He and her friend followed her, but one of her friend stopped him.

"Let us handle Hayoung. Sorry, sunbaenim." Ren nodded. They left. His eyes followed the girls out of the lobby.

His eyebrows suddenly pulled together while looking at the girls went out of the library. He was wondering something:

Asking like this... it wasn't him.

Or was it him?

ooo

After all of the encounters with Jonghyun, he went into a deep thought, whether it was right or not to be that apologetic toward ourselves. Whenever he saw Jonghyun in public places, Jonghyun often said sorry. Ren didn't even know where was Jonghyun's wrong doings. In his spare time, he looked up for him on the internet, out of curiousity, hoping to know how he really was.

He bit his mouth as if he found something interesting, but to be honest, it wasn't interesting at all. He found Jonghyun's facebok page, he scrolled, but nothing was important or interesting for a mere man to see. No clear photos of him uploaded on the page, just photos of him tagged by his friends and those were mostly blurry pictures. His own words were hard to find, only a few of posts under hundred of game notifications.

He was a nerd, for sure.

From all of the tagged photos, he found one that was kind of nice. At least, out of all the blurry pictures, this one was the best. The photo showed four men eating in a barbeque place. The man in the most front has a thick eyebrows and sharp nose, too sharp it could kill woman in one go. Beside him, there was the big guy that he saw several weeks ago, arguing with Jonghyun on the crossroad. Behind him, a guy with delicate look, too handsome that he could be a model. The last, there was Jonghyun with his weird pose, pointing out a slice of pork belly.

They all looked happy and that pork belly seemed delicious.

Ren looked at the big guy, Dongho, was it? He remembered that big guy's words. He couldn't forget it. It had some charm that made him thinking about it, a lot. Not to mention how mad he was when he said it to Jonghyun. Thus, what he saw from that was his care toward Jonghyun, not how scary he was when yelling at him. He realized that how people love and the way each person reacted to something was different and it could give out different result. It was all depended on how you think about something.

He put down his phone and sipped the avocado float in his cup while looking at the night sky on his apartment balcony. Today he wasn't that busy as always. He could come home earlier and now he was thinking about the things that had happened all this time.

Jonghyun was the one who made him like this. How in the world though? Ren wondered. He was just a stranger that came to his life intentionally. He never had imagined seeing someone like him, too selfless, but at the same time being ignorant over people's comments.

His phone vibrated. Because he put it in a glass table, it sounded so loud even he hadn't turned the ringtone on.

He opened it and saw a friend calling.

Yes, a friend. That was a strange word for him. After all this time, he got another friend. It might be not that close, but he was a friend at least. He didn't know if it was the result of meeting Jonghyun. But, after that day of meeting Jonghyun, he started to reach people again. He only gave a slight smile, but he had done his best on interacting with people without any order from his company. Though, not all reacted nicely toward him.

"What is it?" He picked up the telephone.

"Do you still want to borrow the reference?"

"Yes... If you are willing to lend it to me."

"I've finished my work, if you want, you can pick it up at library."

"Oh, really?" Ren was in disbelief.

"Come fast. It's almost midnight. I'll leave you if you are not coming fast enough and you've to meet me three days after."

"Okay. Gotta go."

He hung up the phone and took his cap to hide his messed up hair. He took his car key and went out to the campus library.

***

Ren tilts his head, two eyebrows meet, eyes squint. People know this is the gesture when someone is wondering. He thinks really hard over his apologize. What wrong doing is he apologizing though?

And that night, maybe that night when he first met him in this room? Also, does he recognize him now? Because the last time he saw him, it seems he didn't.

"I haven't sincerely apologized to you that time."

"Eh?" Ren blinks. He is trying to hold his laughter. His reason for apologizing is too random. That's not something to worry about.

"No, I should be the one who say thank you." Ren smiles. He remembers how Jonghyun has built the foundation of his heart to be a stonger Choi Minki and a tough Ren.

"Why are you saying thank you?" Jonghyun looks puzzled with his whining tone. "I wasn't even helping you that time."

"You unlocked the door for me." Ren raises his eyebrow, making sure that Jonghyun remembers what he has done for him. Though that's not the only one he has done for him. With being himself, Jonghyuns changes his life.

"Ah, right." Jonghyun scratches his head, remembering that. That time he felt relieved that he came back, if not, what would happen to this famous person? He would definitely be on the main page of the community site for locking this famous person. But, he was also the one who locked the door.

"But..."

Ren covering his lips with his left hand, giggles at Jonghyun's stubbornness, "Okay, okay." He surrenders on Jonghyun's consistency. He didn't know that he is this stubborn. "I'll have to accept your apologize."

The elevator suddenly opens. There he sees Jonghyun's big friend, the friend who had an argument with him on the crossroad weeks ago, Dongho. His eyes move left and right, inspecting two individuals in front of him. For a while, his eyes have an eye contact with him, but he diverts his eyes and goes to Jonghyun.

"Ya, Jonghyun-a, what are you doing?" Dongho stands in between the open elevator, holding on to the door's sensor, so it won't close itself.

"Oh, Dongho." Jonghyun's reaction is fast. He seems to know that Dongho will search for him and he giggles a bit.

Dongho bows to Ren after he is done talking to Jonghyun. "Hello."

Ren bows back to him. "Hello."

"I was talking to him." Jonghyuns points Ren with his eyes, "It seems that I make you all wait."

"Yes, you realize that." Dongho replies firmly. He looks a bit annoyed because he has to wait for Jonghyun, "Do you have anything to do?" Dongho asks impatiently, but still half mad.

"No. But, why are you the only one coming here?"

"Because I was lost to them." Dongho sighs, "Oh, come on, Jonghyun-a. I'm hungry." Dongho begin to twitch his thick eyebrow. Jonghyun was guessing that he was mad because of his impatient intonation, but he was wrong. It's not because he is annoyed, but it's because he is hungry. That seems like Dongho.

"Right. You," Dongho looks at Ren who has been silently listening to both of them. Ren raises his eyebrow, reacting to Dongho. "You can come along if you want."

"Is it okay?" Ren peeks at Jonghyun who is beside him. "I don't even know you, though?"

"Nah. It's okay. You're Jonghyun's friend, right?" Dongho and Jonghyun stare at each other. Jonghyun nods.

"I just met him, again." Jonghyun stops, "But, if you are okay coming with us, you are really welcomed." He grins.

"'kay." Ren finally nods, agreeing to their offer.

"Alright. Wait I lock the door first."

"Just go. I'll follow you later."

Dongho shakes his head, "No, we are going together." Dongho hand still holds on the elevator's door. "Minhyun threatens me, to bring you or I'll have to buy him foods."

"That kid."

Jonghyun quickly lock the door and goes to the elevator, going down together with both of them. Dongho and Ren introduce each other inside the elevator, while Dongho stil pushing the elevator's 'open' button.

"I'm Kang Dongho, but just call me Dongho." He grins widely. His eye smile looks really sweet and his voice sounds so gentle. It gives the contrast feeling to his strong built. No one could understand this if they don't know him personally. This hidden charm he has.

"I'm Choi Minki, nice to meet you, Dongho-ssi."

"Don't be too formal around me. We are the same age, after all." He reassured.

Ren widen his eyes from the sudden information. This really surprises him. He thought he was older than him, "Oh, is it? Do you know me?"

"No," He answers it straightaway. He laughs.

"He is outdated. Don't ask him what is trending right now." Jonghyun comes in to the elevator with his backpack on his back. He stands in the middle of the two.

"Ya... Jonghyun-a." Dongho frowns as he pushes the elevator's close button. "That's mean." But Jonghyun doesn't care, he just laughs it off. The sound of Jonghyun's teasing laugh is slowly disappearing along with the closed door.

(end)

A/N:

I keep on meesing up the format for this story haha. I've to change it more that five times. Sorry if this chapter don't have the same format like the last two chapter. It has been a while huhu.

Thank you for waiting and reading this long lost story. Tbh, I have uploaded in on wattpad, but forget to upload it here. My bad huhu. This is the end of the story (yet). How do you think?

Anyway, hope you like it.

Love,

Hani