Petals of Romance

Chapter 7 +  Each meeting occurs at the precise moment for which it was meant........

                     Usually, when it will have the greatest impact in our lives.........

On an overcast afternoon two days later, Kris casually reclined on his office chair, tightening his lips into a thin line as his mind wander off somewhere else. The opened laptop on his desk had long been forgotten, including the graphs of sales rate report he's checking for the day. 

He had been containing his resentment since a minute ago, massaging his contemplating mind underneath his temples. It brought him back to the thought that he shouldn't have told anyone among his friends about that fateful encounter at the flower shop.

But then, it's too late to regret on it now. Especially when it had slipped out of his mouth and spilled every detail without reserve. To whom? Well unfortunately, he shared it to the ever gossipy group member, the maknae.

He shifted his position on the swivel chair and darted his eyes on the leather sofa, just adjacent his desk. His eyes landed once again on his friend, the gossipy maknae, who turned into a traitor and conspire against him. He saw him giddily fumble over the phone, dialling and calling the other four members who aren't around.

He even heard him telling the clueless four to come to the office because of an emergency, when infact there's none. He knew the maknae just wanted to exaggerate things to make the other four scramble to his office in records time. Considering that those fools are easily paranoid, he knew that they'll be there any minute now.

Gosh, even his private life can never be a secret to anyone, even among his trusted circle of friends. Everything about him would spread like wild fire amongst themselves, which always results to him getting annoyed most of the time. He doesn't know why they love to feast on his life, like it's the most interesting subject in the entire universe.

"Tao, will you please stop that" Kris irritatingly marched towards him, trying to snatch the phone away. Luckily for him, he had already ended the last call before his hyung could rip the phone from his ear.

"Nu-uh~" Tao scurried away and safely slid back the phone in his pocket. "The hyungs are on their way now Duizhang. Why don't you just relax and prepare to retell your beautiful story"

"Aiissh!" he ruffled his hair in annoyance. "I already told you it's not necessary to tell them about that. It's not even that interesting"

"Not interesting?!" Tao shot back. "Just a while ago, you're recounting the story with twinkles in your eyes. Anyways, the hyungs are already in a hurry to come here"

"Pabo!" he whacked him on the head. "Who would not hurry if you mentioned the word emergency. You even make it sound like it's a matter of life and death" he hissed and tackle the maknae with his arm.

The discreet sound of the screeching door, followed by the loud bang from it being rudely opened, had made both of them stop from their fight. They snapped their heads towards the now wide opened door and saw their friends, panting heavily with drops of sweat rolling down their faces.

"What's the emergen-" Xiumin wasn't even able to complete his sentence when Chen came barging in like a retard, shoving him away and started screaming hysterically.

"Kris hyung?! Hyung! Where are you? My God! What happened? Somebody call 911- Aww~!"

"Yah!" Luhan yelled after hitting him hard on the head. "If you won't stop screaming, I'll personally call the mental hospital to take you away"

"But hyung, I was just worried-" he stopped when Luhan pointed at Kris direction, who still had his arm hook around Tao's neck. "Oh! You're fine. Praise the Lord! Gosh, don't you dare leave us hyung!" he sighed as he wiped away imaginary tears.

"So, what's the emergency?" Xiumin asked once again when they all settled down on the sofa, except for Kris who's still glaring daggers at Tao, while the latter just gave him a peace sign.

"Guys, look. Don't over work it" he finally said and pointed a menacing finger at the culprit behind all this ruckus. "Tao is just being over dramatic again. It's not even an emergency"

"What?! You made us all hurry for nothing?!"

"Yeah! You even made me go hysterical. I could have even ended up in a mental institution, in courtesy of Luhan hyung" he look over the doe-eyed male and received a smack in return.

"I even cancelled an important meeting with a client. Wait, why are we here again?" Lay scratched his head as the others roll their eyes.

This kind of behaviour has always been usual for Lay. It's already part of his nature to be this forgetful. The guys had even recommended him to visit a doctor. But he always decline them, saying that it's fine as long as he doesn't have it worse, like an amnesia.

"Did you even know that we still came from 5 floors below. And to tell you, the two elevators are jam-packed so we have to take the stairs just to reach here"

And just like that, they started to bombard Tao with their endless complains. They even start to roll their sleeves, a signal that they're about to pounce on him for ever trolling them just like that. Especially Chen, who complained that he's the only one who has the right to troll around since it's his expertise, which in turn gained him a kick on the shin by Luhan.

"Hyungs! Wait, let me explain!" Tao run away and hide behind the bar counter,with only his head peeking out to talk to them. "Come on, you have to believe me" he tried to stir their conscience. "It's an emergency. When did I ever lie to you?"

"Uhmm, let me recall. Oh, you always do that whenever you make us buy you some gucci stuff" 

Huh! Lay may be forgetful, but when it comes to some significant things, he will never let you off so easily. He's the one that the members fear to tell their secrets to. He can reveal every truth without reserve. They can't blame him though, he's just being honest. Too awfully honest for their liking.

"Aiissh! That's besides the point Lay hyung. Were talking about Duizhang here" Tao pouted his lips towards Kris. "It's about his bloosoming lovelife" he announced and everyone else gasped in surprise.

"Guys, it's not what you think-"

"Just cut the denial crap Kris. This is indeed an emergency" Xiumin declared and ushered everyone else to sit on the sofa again, including Tao.

"Definitely!" Luhan seconded. "So, you," he pointed at Kris. "Sit down and start talking"

"Gosh, why do I feel that it's gonna be fun. This is the first in EXO's history. I don't know what to say" Chen mused, positioning himself attentively across from Kris.

"Oh, hyungs!" Tao butted in with excitement as he claps his hands together. "Just a quick trivia. It involves the rooftop lady from two weeks ago" and with that, their mouths formed into an 'O' shape and cheekily smiled at the annoyed Kris.

"Spill everything Kris. Were listening" they commanded.

Kris was left with no choice but to recount the story from the beginning. He was always being interrupted by Tao everytime he had missed something along the storyline. He couldn't help but scoffed at how intensively detailed Tao had gotten into grasping everything he said a while ago. The guy had definitely memorized his storyline more that he did with his martial arts moves in wushu class.

The boys had found themselves totally drawmn into the story like children enjoying a bedtime fairytale session. Their faces would even harmoniously react to whatever the scenario is. Just like the way they turned into a sad, sullen expression when they heard about her unfortunate disability. But the moment Kris mentioned about her ability to know a person's character through the languange of flowers, their reactions drastically changed into awe and amazement. They suddenly seemed too interested about it than to know the sales rating of their products.

"Wow! She's one interesting lady. But it must have been hard for her living in a dark world" Lay commented which cause the others to look gloomy. Then, he turned to ask Kris. "Hyung, do you know if she's born like that or was it because of an accident?"

"I don't know" he replied while shaking his head. "I didn't ask her" Heck, he didn't even mention to her that he found out she's blind.

"You did the right thing not to ask her" Xiumin said as he shrugged his shoulders. "Besides, it will be inappropriate to ask something personal, considering that you just met each other. I mean 'officialy' know each other" he explained and the rest nodded in agreement.

"Gurae. So Kris, when can we meet her?" Luhan suddenly asked, giving him a teasing grin. While him on the other hand just raised his eyebrow in surprise.

"What do you mean by 'meet her'?" his tone raise a pitch higher. He doesn't know if it's because of nervousness or in disbelief. "She doesn't even have anything to do with us"

"Come on hyung. You must do the courtesy of introducing to your friends the girl you like"

"What the- That's nonsense! I didn't even say that I like her" he rasped out of frustration. "Gosh, why is it that your minds, as well as mom's and Meilin's, always think alike. Why do you keep on shipping us?"

"Wait! Have I heard it right?!" Chen prompted a cheeky smile as he eyed the others. "They ship the two of you?" he asked towards the flabbergasted Kris. "Oh my God! I ship you too! JasRis all the way!"

Kris couldn't help but facepalmed himself. It was too late to realize that he shouldn't have mentioned that much of a detail. Damn! He shouldn't even mention anything to the maknae in the very first place. How much more complicated and out of control could it get, especially with his meddlesome and always-wants-to-get-involve circle of friends.

"Whooah! The fact that you did mentioned her to auntie and Meilin, it really means something"

"So hyung, when could we meet her?" Tao reiterated the question with bright expecting eyes as the rest clasp their hands together for anticipation.

"Aiissh, jinjja! I told-" 

Beep. Beep. 

The intercom on his desk suddenly buzzed with red lights blinking continuously, interrupting their talk. He immediately dragged his feet towards his table and pressed on it. "Yes Taemin, what is it?"

"Ahm Sir, the President is asking for an immediate meeting with you in his office" his secretary's voice resonated in the room.

He heaved out a sigh and replied. "Alright, I'll be on my way. Thank you" he ended the conversation and faced his friends who look rather dismayed and worried at the situation.

And just like that, kris was back again to his phenomenal dilemma of the century, as he calls it. He knows right then and there what the meeting is all about. His father would surely be nagging at him again, asking for any progress on the project. That's the only definite thing he knew. No doubt about it.

He faces that almost everyday this passing weeks. Gosh, why can't his brain process any concept for their comback's theme. It's just Spring, the season of love. What's so hard about it, right? But the problem is, what's the thing that could best represent it to compliment with their concept.

The thing that could best represent Spring. The thought kept on replaying in his mind like a mantra. Then, a flashback of memory suddenly clicked in his now reeling brain cells.

"It is fascinating" she continued on. "Just like spring, it's refered to as the season of love, and do you know what it's best represented with?" she intriguingly queried him. "What?" he eagerly asked back like a child who hungers for knowledge.

"Flowers!" she said while snapping her fingers. "And speaking of which, your bouquet is now ready to go. Here it is" she passed it onto him.

Ofcourse! That's it! Flowers! How did he even missed that idea?

Finally, after so many days of nonstop nagging, he has some improvement to tell the old man. Before the latter would transform into the embodiment of Hades here on earth, again.

"What's the matter hyung? Don't tell me you already lost your mind due to the project's pressure?" Tao concerningly walked towards him when the maknae saw his hyung smiling vaguely into space.

"I'm perfectly fine" Kris came back to reality and playfully hit him on the shoulders. He smiled widely again which only increased their concern at him. It's totally not like Kris to be acting this way. Not unless he already lose his last strand into insanity.

"See you around guys" he smiled and waved at them as he walks- No, actually he's hopping on his every step towards the door and opens it. Gosh, talking about a 360 degrees shift in personality.

"Oh, and by the way. About your question a while ago" he turned around and faced Tao. "If everything goes as planned, you could be meeting her one of these days" he finished off and left them dumbfounded.