On That Spring Festival

That one day during spring festival I spent in Japan, I saw him.

He continuously pressed the ‘take picture’ button on his camera as he adored the beauty of cherry blossoms, the highlight of spring festival, in here, Osaka, Japan.

His eyes looked up to his surrounding. When he felt that he got the perfect view, he smiled a bit, then put the camera lens in front of his right eye while closing his left eye, trying to find the focus of the lens, before he walked again.

One step…

Two steps…

Three steps…

He once again pressed that button whilst bent down a bit when a girl blowing up soap bubbles near him, few meters away from Osaka Castle which its surrounding was full of pink-colored cherryblossoms. The little kid who seemed to know she was being the object of that guy’s camera, suddenly embarrassed and ran to her mom who stood nowhere far from there, hiding her pretty face. He laughed childishly seeing that kid’s cute behavior then waved his hand that was free to that kid before he walked away again.

After thinking he was tired, he bought a can of green tea from vending machine then sit on a bench nearby. He wiped his sweat while using his other hand to take out the camera he’d been used the whole day. He smiled. Maybe he was looking to the pictures he’d been taken that day.

There are some people said that during spring festival here, people easily fall in love because it is the day when all cupids from heaven shot their love arrows. I had never believed in that thing. I had never believed that love at first sight does exist. I had never believed that you can easily fall in love with someone you don’t even know.

But hey, I do believe in fate.

I believe that fate works mysteriously, magically. In the way people would never think make sense.

And I believe it was fate that I saw him in that spring festival. A fate that changed my life afterwards. A simple fate that breaks all my belief about love at first sight or even cupid works best during spring festival.

I believe it was fate, because ever since that magical day happened, he always appears in front of me, no matter where I put my feet on.

***

Tokyo, Japan, 2 weeks ago…

“Good morning, ____ -chan!” My friend, Aiko came running to greet me. She was wearing her spring clothes, a flower-printed skin-colored dress and let her long wavy brown hair unraveled beautifully to her side. Unlike many girls at our campus, Aiko likes wearing a pair of sneakers matched with the dress. She also wears black cardigan which size was bigger than her real size, giving this cute image which makes many guys are after her. Unlike her, my definition of spring clothes were just being casual―dirty sneakers matched with jeans shorts, bright-colored t-shirt, baseball jacket and cap which I wore its back in the front while I let my long black hair untied and tucked it one sided, giving me a boyish image.

After replied her greeting with my (still) messy Japanese language―well, since I got my scholarship to study here and I am 100% Korean―we walked together to campus.

“Hey, do you want to go to the spring festival in Osaka?” She, with English language, suddenly suggested. It is a common thing for our campus’ students to use English as our daily language because there are so many foreign students and our campus uses British curriculum and English as the main language.

“Osaka? Again?” I repeated the last word she said.  I rolled my eyes and exhaled heavily. As long as my study here in Japan, I’d been to Osaka for like so many times. It was nothing special during the spring festival there because I went there last year and surely, just like the elders here said, cherryblossoms, food stalls, traditional japanese games booths, and lantern festival.

“Yes! Come on!” She grabbed my left hand and I took that time to think. I was thinking about going to a nearby fish pond to fish with grandpa or grandma I’ve been living with these 2 years.

“It must be fun!!” Aiko convinced me in a way I could never forgive myself to be weak with. She talked to me in Korean, my mother language. I gave up, shrugged and looked at her straight.

She who knows what that look meant, clenched her hands excitedly and smiled with her eyes. “You’ll see, we will have some fun later on! Arigatou~ Aieru! (Thank you! I love you)” She then hugged me from my left side while we kept walking until reach the main gate of our campus.

“Okay! I’ll see you later at canteen!” She then walked to her faculty building, while I also walked to the building where the lecture will be held in… hem wait. What time is it? I asked myself then take out my phone from my pocket to check the time.

”Omona (Oh my god). I will be late!” I murmured in my mother language, put back my phone and ran to the lecture hall.

***

Osaka, Japan, few days later

Aiko’s eyes were big as we stepped into the park inside. She looked once again, grinning from ear-to-ear. “Kawaii!!!! (Pretty!!!!)” she commented while we were walking. I must admit that this year’s spring in Osaka was so pretty. The flowers, the surrounding, the Japanese girls wearing kimono (traditional Japanese clothes for girl), everything. Seeing girls with that clothes, makes me realized something. I looked to my friend

“Aiko-chan, why you are not wearing kimono?” She laughed.

“Hem it’s just that I don’t feel like wearing it today.” She gave me her smile then she looked away. We kept walking until she eyed a booth that sells cotton candies.

“Look! It’s cotton candy!” Me, who was still eating ice cream we bought earlier, suddenly been dragged by her to the booth who sells that cotton candies. While she picked her cotton candy and wait for the seller to make it, I looked away boringly. My eyes suddenly landed to something not far from the booth.

It was him.

He was there trying to take the picture of the girls wearing kimono without they know. They laughed happily while finally he held off his camera from his eyes. He looked at the result. Satisfied, he smiled a bit then continued to walk away.

Aiko tapped my right shoulder and woke me up from my daydreaming.

She handed me the cotton candy she bought for me.

“Arigatou, Aiko-chan!” I thanked her but my eyes were not off from that guy. Who is he? I kept questioning myself and without I knew, I sounded my mind loud and made Aiko confused.

“Who?” She tried to follow my gaze but I stopped her.

Nervously I answered it was nobody, but it was too late. She spotted that pretty guy who didn’t even realized that he was being glared by me. She smiled teasingly.

“I see… handsome guy with a came―hmppffff” I quickly covered by my hand who didn’t hold the cotton candy before she could finish her sentence. Her loud voice might be heard by that guy and I didn’t want that to happen. When I finally released her again, she tried to breathe normally then looked at me―still in a teasing way. All I could do was trying to avoid her gaze and secretly took a glance to him again. This time, he tried to take a picture of kids running away circling one of the cherryblossoms tree.

With chewing the cotton candy, she looked again at him. “Hm he seems like Korean than Japanese to me.” She nodded seemed satisfied by her quick analysis.

Me, whose eyes kept seeing him, mumbled in a low voice but still could be heard by her. “Really?”

She then put a small bite of her cotton candy in again before replying carelessly. “Yeah I think so. Korean and Japanese guys are quite the same in face characters but I could see the difference because I am Japanese and have been living here since I was in my okaasan(mother)’s womb.”

***

Aiko called my name while putting her palms on her knees because she had been following me for… 3 consecutive hours now. I turned to her to ask why.

“I am so tired. Can we at least get something to drink? The sun is going to set in an hour and I am sure you don’t want to miss the highlight of this festival right?” She looked tired and I thought she was right. The sun was going to set in an hour and that means the highlight of this festival, lanterns festival, would also begin in an hour. I agree and we walked to the nearest vending machine and I spotted him again near the vending machine. Aiko groaned unsatisfactorily while she saw me holding my breath once he was near.

“Oh no no not again. I am thirsty and we will grab some drinks.” She talked to me in dictate way. She must be exhausted. But my legs were like jelly everytime I took my step to the vending machine. Because he took a sip of his matcha drink he bought in vending machine just right next to the machine itself. And for a moment I thought how could there’s a guy who drink so… attractively.

Because without know the reason why, for these 3 hours, I had been following this guy here and there and I knew some things that might be his habit.

He bit his lip the moment he found that the picture he has took didn’t please his eyes. He then pressed another button on his DSLR camera that might be the delete button. Then he would continue to hunt the best views he could get.

He took interest mostly in people and their activities. The moment he took a picture of random people, he would always grin from ear to ear and I think that’s the sign that he was satisfied with the picture he got.

He would always tap the edge of his shoe everytime he found there was dirt at the sole of his shoe.

He also preferred to tie the rope of his camera on his left hand even though he would take a picture with his right hand.

And being slapped by reality, I could see that I couldn’t let my eyes off of him.

Oh dear, I think I have fallen for him.

***

“Write your wish on the side of this lantern, ____-chan!” Aiko commanded me with her face smiling happily.

I laughed without turning my eyes to her, who seemed busy writing her wish. “Okay. Don’t peek up my wish!”

[Author’s POV]

Lantern festival, the highlight of the spring festival in Osaka had begun about a half hour ago and now all people were given chance to fly their lanterns with their wishes written on there. They believe if you write your wish there, it would come true one day.

You saw many people wrote wishes about health, family, upcoming exams, or even about their wealth. You didn’t wish for anything in this moment because you think you’ve been grateful enough to bother God with nonsense wishes―except one thing.

You have never really longing to know the identity of a person but now.

You have never believed in such love at the first sight but now.

You could never ask for more besides you wish, you really really wish, you can know his name and be friends with him. No matter how hurts you are in the future.

After you and Aiko flew your lantern away and Aiko told you she would buy some drinks, while praying for your wish come true, you heard a sound of camera blitz from your right side. You turned to your right side and you held your breath. He was actually there, trying to take a picture of you.

He who was also surprised that you realized he was trying to take your picture, walk to you scratching his back hair which didn’t seem itchy. He smiled a little.

“Sorry I didn’t mean to―” he said in english with Korean accent inside. You thought for a moment how Aiko was right about he isn’t Japanese.

You cut him before he could finish his sentence.

“That’s fine.” You said in Korean. He, who seemed to be surprised to the fact that you also a Korean just like him, replied with a smile. You couldn’t hold your smile and you felt your cheeks were getting red.

“I don’t know you’re also a Korean.” He started the conversation using Korean language. “I feel more relaxed now because finally I could use my language.” He turned to you and smiled.

“I studied here in Tokyo. It’s been 2 years now,” you replied with your cheeks still hot. You really hoped he couldn’t see you blushed.

“I see. By the way, we haven’t known each other’s name.” He then moved back a bit and bowed.

“Hallo, my name is Kim Jongdae. Nice to meet you.” He smiled.

Oh yes, you do believe in fate.

my first one-shot length story! Yeay~ This time featuring our birthday boy (well, few days ago) ChenChen <3 

you won't believe how glad I am to be able to write a story about him.

Please comment :) and thanks for viewing! x