The sun was shining and the pavement glittered under the light. The bass of the rap was pounding in a steady rhythm in his ears. Yongguk nodded along, and switched the song to something with more piano. It was too nice a day to listen to the angry voices of the rappers he normally tried to emulate.           

            The piano tinkles started off slowly and melodiously, slowly gaining speed and strength as they reached a crescendo. Yongguk walked the sidewalk, staring down at the shadow he made and then breathed in the fresh air. The palm trees around him waved and he finally felt at home.

            It had only been a week since he moved to California and it was difficult to be accustomed to the new language and surroundings. There were no more alleys with street stands, no more markets bustling with the noise of people haggling. Even the city seemed different. The lights were more intense here, or just more colorful. The people walking about the streets seemed more haggard more disinterested.

            He took in a deep breath and could feel the fresh flora and felt the tingling remnants of pollen in his lungs. Yongguk coughed a little and stuck his hands in his pockets. The houses here were different, each house a quaint number by itself. He looked at the more pastel yellows and burnt sienna roofs. There was definitely a more sunshine beauty than there had been in Korea.

            The classical music faded and one of his favorite songs came on. Yongguk rested against a pole and stared up at the clouds. The sun shone off his face but not harshly enough to blind his eyes. He took in a deep breath and listened to lyrics about love gained, lost, and then treasured again. It almost felt like his move: losing his first home, then slowly opening up to his new.

            Yongguk casted his eyes to the other side of the street and saw a girl walking by. She was lightly floating it seemed. There was something graceful to the way she moved and her curly hair bounced gently off her back as she moved.

            She was dressed casually in jeans and a loose white T-shirt but that was what made her perfect. After being surrounded by perfectly made up women in Korea, and the trendy females of California, he finally met someone who matched his ideal type. He wanted to walk to her and talk to her but a shyness held him back. She was walked in the same direction he was; her strides not too long but not too short as she walked to her own rhythm.

            She nodded her head along to an invisible beat; she wasn’t wearing headphones. Yongguk started walking as well, intrigued. Her hair was almost a golden color when the sun hit it and he wondered if she smelled good. She probably smelled better than the flowers, he decided. He wanted to hold her for a moment and feel the cotton tee against his arms but decided that he was just going to walk alongside her for now.

            He jogged a little so that they were walking at the same pace. Sometimes he would flicker his eyes to see if she had sped up or slowed down but their feet were connected and they walked at the same time, lifting the foot at the same time and lowering the same foot together. He felt a boyish giddiness and shyly reprimanded himself for being so weird.  

            He reached a flower stand and decided he was going to make his move. She, too, had slowed to admire puppies in the pet shop across the street. He glanced at her and took a couple of fresh daisies and lilies, giving them color with a sunflower. The light was his and Yongguk crossed the street.

            She didn’t look at him but at the animals, cooing at them. His heart pounded in his heart and he took off his headphones as he approached. She turned around at the right time for him to hold out the flowers to her.

            There was a look of astonishment on her face and he smiled bashfully at her. “For you, beautiful,” he told her.

            She smiled widely and blinked at him. She took the bouquet from him and the two of them couldn’t keep their eyes off of each other. Yongguk took a step closer and took a whiff. She smelled like a burst of sundried oranges and peaches, just ripe and honey sweet.

            “Thank you.” Her voice was soft and there was a soft blush on her cheeks that was hidden by the shadows. He stood there, not sure what to do and she also were stuck there.

            There didn’t seem to be any awkwardness, just a quite appreciation of one another. Yongguk held out his hand and she took it. There wasn’t anything overly romantic or ualized about the gesture, just two strangers meeting for the first time.

            She clutched his fingers and looked at him. “Where are you headed?” He shrugged, indicating that he would go where she went. “I’m heading to the park,” she offered and he nodded. He would follow her if she wanted. “Let’s go.”

            “Sounds good to me,” he told her.

            She held the flowers in one hand, his hand in another and he walked beside her, truly beside her now. She looked at him, open, ready to ask the next few questions. She didn’t ask for his name first, but that would be the first among all the other information she would soon learn about him.

Hope you guys enjoy~

There will be a double update every day until the 29th so anticipate please