She was in a strange land. There were no houses. No people. No civilization. Only trees and the vastness of it. Her presence in such a place is really weird. But the stillness in her freaks her out more. It’s like it’s never a question why she’s there; like it’s the right time in the right place. The wind was blowing and everything was just so utterly calm until she felt a throbbing pain on her left arm and fell on her knees at the impact of whatever it is that hit her.  A few more seconds and she can hear quick and heavy footsteps coming closer and closer. She knew she had to get up and ran but she couldn’t. It felt like the wound in her left arm was weighing her down. With nothing else to do, she instinctively closed her eyes instead. Someone from behind suddenly gripped her shoulders worriedly, apologizing profusely for accidentally shooting a bow at her direction. She was trying to look at him but only caught a glimpse of his arm when everything went blurry.

Almost half of her birthday ruined; waking up late for her first class, forgetting her keys inside the dorm, spilling coffee on her favorite shirt, her umbrella missing, she decided to just spend her free time during the afternoon strolling in a park she would not normally go to, probably thinking of doing something that’s not like her. “Crazy day,” she muttered, finally having the peace that she’d been asking for since this morning.  She was about to return to her dorm when a place at the corner of the park caught her eyes. Seems like a flower shop to her, with lots of plants and flowers hanging around the exterior wall and a more of them in flower pots just outside. It reminded her of the scene from her dreams. Mother Nature seems to like her company nowadays. So without hesitation, she ran straight to it, as if getting magically drawn to the place itself.

As soon as she opened the door, a guy went up to her and beamed, all smiles, welcoming her as warmly as one could’ve imagined. Her eyes stayed on him for a while and noticed his nameplate. Lee Jinki. She nodded and returned the smile. “Cute,” she thought. He left her in peace as she sauntered inside, searching for something that she doesn’t even know. “A flower shop, seriously?” she whispered, and realized how pathetic it’ll look like if she bought herself a bouquet of flowers. On her birthday. She continued scanning though. Until another guy came up to her and asked if he may be of assistance. “Oh, this one’s gorgeous.” She wondered and shook her head instead. Lee Donghae, his nameplate read. Is everyone here blood-related perhaps? In the end, she got herself a few white roses and headed to the cashier to pay for it.

She was about to bring out her cash from her wallet when the guy in the cashier greeted her a happy birthday. “How’d you-,” looking down earlier, she quickly turned to him to check if he’s an old acquaintance or someone she met before but the moment their eyes met, all she could think of was, “God, he’s the one.” He smiled, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment for blurting out something so unknown. “I uhhh….I just knew. Right. I was merely guessing. Good that I got it right. Here. For you.” He handed her a purple, flower headpiece. The two guys from before emerged from the room at the back of the cashier, both grinning from ear to ear as they stood side by side the guy in the cashier. “To clear things up, this guy here went to a fortune-teller earlier this morning. Crazy, we know,” the cute one shared, continued by the gorgeous one, “And the old woman told him that he was about to meet the love of his life. Not tomorrow. Not in the future. But today.  On the girl’s fateful birthday,” he smirked, playfully, tapping the poor guy’s side. The guy on the cashier literally face-palmed, his ears getting red in humiliation. “Even telling him that he has to apologize for shooting her with an arrow once on his past life,” the smiley one added and the two of them burst out laughing. “Alright, enough shame for me today. Now go inside, check the logbooks if everything was accurate, and let me handle the situation you two just ruined,” he ended and sure enough, the two obeyed and went inside, giggling like little boys as the cashier guy sighed in relief. He looked back and was surprised to see her wearing the purple flower headpiece, smiling. “Thank you,” she genuinely said. “Sure. Uhm, mind telling me your name? Kris, by the way,” he introduced, extending his hand. She reached for it and did the same. She gasped upon seeing the tattoo Phoenix on the back of his palm. It’s exactly the same as the guy’s arm in her dream. “Oh, you hate this kind of stuff?” And for a moment there, he was dead worried.  “No, no. It’s fine. So, a fortune-teller, huh?” she giggled and he laughed in defeat. “Lame as it is, but, yea. And since you already know, why not let me take you out on a date, if it’s not too much to ask for, of course.” She nodded right away and he smiled widely, thanking her. “After all, it’s not too late to still celebrate for your birthday, right, Nathalie?”