In love with the cherry blossoms
Ugly
“Did you two fight?” Your father asked you breaking the awkward silence. Both your parent’s eyes were laid on you, piercing your skin like a thousand needles.
“It’s none of your business.” You said stuffing your mouth. For the first time, you didn’t have an appetite, in fact, you felt sick; you wanted to throw up.
“Was it because of Big Bang?” He asked you looking in his plate.
“She told you?!” You exclaimed in anger.
“So I guessed right.” He said raising his eyes to meet yours, as you buried yours into your plate.
“It’s not about them; it’s about how she betrayed me that hurt the most.” You replied looking down at your plate. “I don’t have an appetite, can I go?” You asked rising from the table. Your parents nodded, deciding to stay out of that.
You didn’t feel like making up with your sister yet so you decided to go to the park to take a stroll and visit an old friend. Your anger started fading away the moment you saw the beautiful cherry blossoms and inhaled the fresh air. God, how you had missed the sun, winter was the season you hated the most, you couldn’t stand cold and you simply adored the sun so having it gone for 3 moths was hell on earth.
You went to your favorite tree in the park, which you hadn’t visited since spring had come. It was a small cherry tree, somewhere among the many others, that couldn’t get enough sun and didn’t grow as much. He hardly had any flowers and leaves but it was your favorite because it was the same as you.
You made way through the trees and caressed its small flowers. It was trying its best to be like the others and no one but you appreciated this. You stuck your hand in your bag and pulled out some origami cherry blossoms and leaves. You pierced them with a needle and tied them with small threads to the tree’s branches while singing to it; plants liked this, didn’t they? Maybe all it needed was a little encouragement.
After tying all the flowers to it, you took some steps back to look at it. It was even more beautiful than the others. You walked back and picked your bag from the ground preparing to go back home.
“Hwaiting!” You exclaimed raising your fist in the air. One last touch was an encouraging hug. You weren’t worried about people seeing you because no body knew about that place; it was like your own little piece of heaven.
“Oh, but you’re not weird at all.” A kind of familiar voice startled you. Your body twitched and you slowly turned around, trying to look like you weren’t hugging… a… tree. You were surprised to see the same smile that had cheered you up the night before. You smiled and escaped a relieved laugh. “Why were you hugging a tree?” he asked, not mockingly but out of curiosity, you could tell by the look on his face.
“I’m encouraging it… It just won’t grow.” You said sighing and looking back at the small tree.
“It’s about your size.” He said walking closer to it. “Just a few centimeters taller.” He said waving his hand over the tree.
“But what are you doing here?” You asked looking at him confused.
“Relaxing.” He answered briefly, examining the tree.
“But how did you find this place? It’s…”
“Secret?” He cut you off in the middle of your sentence.
“Yeah…” You answered examining his every move carefully.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought too, until I saw you here.” He said giving you an amused look.
“I bet I’ve known this place for a longer time!” You answered defensively at his accusations of intruding.
“I don’t think so.” He answered shaking his head.
“I planted this tree here 6 years ago.” You said crossing your arms and giving him a winner look.
“O~kay, maybe you do but the park is public property.” He said shrugging.
“I know! You’re the one who accused me of intruding.” He turned around and looked at you lazily before his eyes became wider and he was practically staring at you.
“You’re the girl from the club!” He exclaimed pointing his index finger at you… Okay, he wasn’t exactly a genius; it took him some time to realize.
“You don’t say, Sherlock.” You answered raising an eyebrow.
“Is sarcasm your second nature?” He asked curling the corners of his mouth into an amused smile.
“Me? Sarcastic? Never…” You answered laughing.
“So you planted this tree, huh?” He asked caressing its rough bark. You nodded in response smiling proudly. “Why did you tie these to it?” He asked playing his fingers on one of the paper flowers.
“Because it won’t grow.” You answered letting out a deep sigh. “It doesn’t get enough sun and water because of the bigger trees around it and it has few flowers and leaves… I thought… it just needs a little encouragement, you know, being around these beautiful trees… I think it is scared. But just look how beautiful it’d look in full bloom.” You said pouting and sighing.
“I think it’s waiting for you, so you can bloom together.” He said giving you a sweet smile. You had never thought of it, but it didn’t make any sense, did it?
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“How come you’re not surrounded by girls?” You were both lying on the smooth grass, looking at the blue sky among the cherry tree’s blossomed branches.
“Disguise.” He said pulling out of a black bag a cap, sunglasses and a scarf.
“Why aren’t you wearing it here?” You asked turning your head to face him.
“Because nobody’s ever here.” He said doing the same and flashing you a gorgeous smile.
“Yeah, I know how it feels, that was exactly what I was thinking when I hugged a tree.” You said making him giggle. You were never comfortable around strangers, no matter who they were but he had the sweetest and kindest eyes you had ever seen.
“Do you come here often?” He asked looking back at the blue sky.
“I don’t know.” You answered closing your eyes and letting the bright sun caress your face.
“What kind of answer is this?” He asked laughing.
“I guess I do come often.” You said trying hard to remove him from your mind for a brief second so you could find the answer. “How about you?” You asked him opening your eyes.
“I don’t know either.” He said covering his face with his hands. “Wow, look how cold my hands are!” He exclaimed taking your hand into his. They were ice cold, but they felt good against your burning skin. Your hands were always warm. “Wow, how come yours are so warm?” He asked grabbing your other hand too, to warm up.
“They always are.” You answered shrugging. Your eyes were fixed on your hands but the feeling of his stare on your skin made you look up, only too meet his eyes. His cheeks were a slight shade of pink, kind of like the cherry blossoms and you could feel yours turn pink too. He slowly let go of your hands and lied back on the grass, closing his eyes. You stood like that for a few more seconds, looking at him, trying to imprint his image on the back of your mind, where he was going to stay forever, next to the cherry blossoms.
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