Today was just another day.

You woke up in your bed, your spine aching from not reclining properly. You kept your eyes shut, trying to imagine wiggling your toes. You just wanted this simple pleasure. You needed to feel them again.

 

“What are you doing?”

“trying to wiggle my toes.”

“Why?”

 

Why? Because you were paralyzed from the hips down, but the better question was who were you responding to. Before you could open your eyes to investigate a strange feeling returned to you.

Your toes.

They wiggled.

The strange alien feeling that you had not felt in 2 months returned, it came from the tip of your big toe and jiggled to your ankle before shooting up your leg and skipping over your knee. You felt it in your hips all the way up to your shoulders.

“my toes!”

You half shouted, opening your eyes abruptly to look down at your feet that peaked out from the white hospital sheet. There they were, all 10 toes, wiggling eagerly as you commanded them.

You smiled and giggled under your breath before the feeling of being watched creeped over you.

 

“Your toes are wiggling.”

“I know! isn’t it amazing?” You squealed and turned your head in the direction of the foreign voice.

 

You were startled to see a young man leaning against the hospital wall, the sunlight that seeped through your blinds banded the man. He looked at you inquisitively, his red hair glistening as his plump lips pulled up into a small side smirk.

“Hello”

“Who are you” Your voice was more hostile than you had planned for it to come out. But who was he?

Despite his pleasant face that gave off a very comfortable vibe you were a hundred percent sure that if you knew him you would remember a face like his.

“Kim Seokjin” He stated his name matter of factly like he had a purpose to be leaning against your hospital wall.

“Well Kim Seokjin, why are you here?”

“I’m not sure yet, but I’m sure i’ll figure it out…”

 

What was he talking about?

You were completely puzzled by the red headed man’s words. He was standing here making casual conversation with you, but he had no idea why. Perhaps he was a mental patient or a patient who has lost his memory and accidentally stumbled into your room.

Seeing this as a logical explanation, you looked up at him with the emergency call button by your bed in your palm.

“Should I call a nurse… did you stumble from your room?” As you said this you realized a small hole in your theory. This Kim Seokjin was fully dressed. He was wearing a white cardigan with double striped piping, a white dress shirt and a tie. He seemed well put together so he had to have had some purpose for being in the hospital.

 

“No, no Im not a patient. I don’t know why I’m here because we haven’t spent the day together.”

“huh?”

Now you were supremely confused, why did he speak in riddles.

 

“What are your dreams?”

“Why are you jumping from topic to topic?” You challenged the weird man.

“That doesn’t matter, but tell me… what are your dreams?” He moved from the wall and began to walk over to the side of your bed. You wearily shrugged as far away from him as you could.

“It’s ok, I know I seem strange but I promise I will clear things up.” He smiled honestly. You could tell. You learned to see the difference. His smile showed in his eyes, unlike the doctors who tell her as they dispense her pain medication that ‘she will be back to normal in no time’.

 

“Well, Seokjin I-”

“You can call me Jin, I always liked the shorter version better” He grinned and you looked at him doe eyed for a couple moments before his hand gestured you to continue.

“Oh..Okay, well I...I don’t have dreams anymore.”

“Why not?” Jin looked at you from the chair at your bedside, his head cocked in his palms where it rested comfortably.

“I can’t anymore...not after the accident. I’m...wait.”

“mmm?”

“I wiggled my toes! You saw me wiggle my toes right?”

“Yes, I did.”

“but I’m paralyzed from the waist down, I can’t wiggle my toes.” You were utterly baffled by this revelation.

“maybe you can, but you haven’t answered me. What were your dreams, before all this. when you were just you. Two legs, two feet, two hands, and two pretty eyes?” Jin chuckled.

“Well, I wanted to fall in love, I wanted to walk through the park with him and ice cream, I wanted to push him and laugh as he dances to a street performer terribly. I wanted a piggy back up grassy hill and to lay back and name the clouds until the night sky veiled our view and we named constellations instead.”

 

Jin sighed by your side, his eyes sparkling as he listened intently. You flushed a shade of pink and pulled back.

“What”

“Nothing… continue, you seem to have more to say”

You nibble your bottom lip and looked up at him from staring at your folded hands in your lap.

“Now I just want to walk again.”

As the words left your lips and large warm smile found its way to his.

“then let’s walk.”

“I can’t!” You crossed your arms.

“come on try with me.” He held out his bent arm for you to link with and use as a support but you kept your crossed.

“I told you I was paralyzed, do you just want to make fun of me.”

His expression manipulated from joy to pure horror as he realized his actions.

“Of course not, I just want to go on a walk with you.” He responded honestly, his hand coming up to rub the back of his neck as he looked at his feet.

“Well, we can’t always get what we want because I told you I can’t walk.”

Jin’s shoulders dropped and he looked at you like a kicked puppy.

“But your toes, They wiggled.”

“yeah…” What was he getting at?

“You said they couldn’t.” Jin pointed out trying to make his point obvious.

“that doesn’t mean I can walk.” You pouted, not wanting to show your discomfort and hurt feelings.

“Please try.”

He shook his bent arm and looked at you encouragingly.

“Fine.” You linked arms with him, sitting up straight in your hospital bed before shifting your legs of the bed.

You gasped as the ball of your foot contacted the cold tiles. You felt it.

Your eyes met Jin’s who just continued to smile and pull you to your feet.

“Don’t let go!” You Squealed and gripped his arm tighter.

“I won’t” He laughed and took a step. You cringed and tried to hop and follow him.

“Take a step.” He spoke softly and you looked at him worried.

He took another step and this time your right foot followed.

 

“I…. I walked.” You gasped and Jin just laughed light heartedly.

“You did.”

“Jin I walked!” You shouted and took another, hugging his arm again.

“So, should we go on a walk?” He smiled down at you.

“mhm” You nodded and followed him out of the blank cream coloured room. You followed him out of the hospital and across the street.

 

“Jin!” You shrieked, realizing you were in nothing other than hospital pajamas.

“What?” He looked at you panicked. You waved at your clothes in distress and his worried features softened.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes it does!”

“No it doesn’t, you look beautiful anyways. Besides you said you wanted to fall in love and go to a park.”

“yeah but…”

“then fall for me.” You blinked as he let go of you and stepped away putting a small gap of space between you two on the sidewalk.

“I said fall for me.”

 

You heard him loud and clear but you just met him. You couldn’t love someone you just met. You shook your head now unsure whether to trust him or not. You just left your safe secure hospital room with a strange man that just happened to be leaning on your wall.

“Just for one day! Let’s be together for today.”

 

You wanted to scream ‘why!?’ but there was something else that screamed inside you. A small voice that was a fraction louder than your pessimistic and doubtful cries. It shouted… ‘catch me!’ Because in those few seconds of looking at this new and peculiar man, with wind tousled red hair, a portion of you decided to fall for him.

 

“If I fall for you...will you catch me?” You shouted, your voice, picked up by the wind traveled to his ears.

“Yes!”

 

His simple reply was like a chalk gun announcing the beginning of a race in public school and you flew out of the starting gate and from your grounded position on the sidewalk, running a fews strides before jumping.

You’re scream was hitched in your throat as you sailed a few seconds mid air before being embraced by two strong arms and planted against a broad chest.

“You caught me” You giggled into his hair as he spun you around before setting you on your own two functioning feet again.

“I told you I would, did you not believe me?” You noticed Jin always had a smile on his face, but this time he didn’t smile at you he smiled down at your intertwined hands.

 

He swung them back and forth before pulling you down the stone path that twisted its way through a park. Just like you had dreamed of.

 

You walked hand in hand, side by side, admiring the way the sun kissed the yellowish green leaves that had begun to open up as spring enchanted the park. You listened to the birds which sang long forgotten songs that your hospital walls had swallowed. You smelt hot peanuts from a vendor severing them in cones and it seemed too long ago you walked this park with your friends nibbling on the salty treats.

You had missed this.

Walking, just walking aimlessly.

 

“What flavour do you like?”

“Pardon?” You opened your eyes again to see Jin facing you straight on, both of your hands in his as his head tilted sideways waiting for your answer.

“Ice cream, silly” He poked your nose and grinned, the corners of his mouth indenting slightly to his cheeks and his eyes creased into shimmering half moons.

“Oh….Just vanilla…Maybe strawberry… I’m not sure.” You laughed awkwardly as he shook his head, clearly amused with your indecision over ice cream flavours.

“Got it” He bobbed his head and let go of your hands, leaving you to stand awkwardly rubbing your arm and chewing your lip in your hospital attire.

 

He didn’t leave you very long and returned with a vanilla and strawberry cone.

“I like both flavours too, so we can share.” He laughed and handed you the vanilla cone. You took it but your face remained blank.

“ahh… maybe you wanted the strawberry instead?” he reached forward to switch cones until you lifted your hand and the cone and plopped the top of the ice cream twist on his nose.

 

Jin looked stunned. He blinked a couple times, his eyes crossing to stare at the dollop of vanilla ice cream. You held back your giggles as the man in front of you looked at the ice cream in shock. Your mouth twisted and curved in a hard line that acted as a fort, holding all your giggles in your mouth.

But one can only hold it back for so long.

Your laughter ripped through your lips and escaped in every direction. You grabbed your abdomen, rocking back and forth on your heels as your laughter continued to explode.

It only came to an abrupt stop when you to felt a dab of something cold hit the tip of your nose.

At first you were confused by the tingling on your nose, but soon your eyes focused on the drop of strawberry ice cream that was perched at its tip.

You noticed the boy with the smug grin, his pink ice cream nonchalantly second.

“What was that for?” You pouted as he linked arms with you again.

“I was getting even.” He made a point but you still felt the need to scold him for ruining perfectly good strawberry ice cream on your nose.

 

The more you walked the longer you found yourself focusing and analyzing Jin. He was handsome, but he wasn’t a super model. His cheeks were round but he had a nice jawline. His bottom lip seemed to be always pouty and the upper crease of his eyes was more rounded than his bottom lid.

he hummed softly beside you as you strolled the park, your eyes focusing on his vibrating apple resting comfortably in his throat. The dip to his collarbones asked you to proceed to his broad shoulders. You recalled how his arms felt secure on how wide his chest was when he caught you.

You shook your head as Jin began to drag you. You stumbled a few steps before your mind focused back to the park and not every last feature of Kim Seokjin.

“What are we doing?” You choked out as you finally found your feet under you and kept up to the ever so eager ma- boy, who was dragging you forward.

“There is a group of performers!” He looked back at you, excitement written all over his face with an impish grin.

He looked like a kid who pulled of the biggest surprise for his mother on Mother’s day.

Performers.

It couldn’t….You shook off the thought encroaching on your mind and just played it off as a weird coincidence that you mentioned street performers in your dreams you told Jin about and now there were some.

 

It was a trio. One man was sitting, his hand slapping a wooden drum between his legs, another strummed a few chords on his guitar while the third’s voice did his work, instead of his hands.

 

You listened well, allowing the melody to embed itself in your mind because you never knew when you would get outside of your hospital room again. You found the rhythm to tap your feet too, but Jin let the melody carry him away a little more.

 

He swayed awkwardly, his hands jerking at his side as his head bobbed to the groove. You chuckled under your breath at the awkward posturing.

“Jin…”

“Yeah?”

“What are you doing?” You asked as his movement got a little more enthusiastic.

“Dancing.”

He was dancing, and dancing terribly.

Just like you asked.

“You don’t have to embarrass yourself for me.”

“I really like it though, I don’t dance that bad, right?” You shook your head, your arms folded on your chest as you chuckled softly.

“Not bad at all”

 

“How long have we been walking?” You yawned, the temperature seemed to cool a bit but it was still nice. The park still seemed alive but, less children were around. Time must have passed awfully quick and you hadn’t even noticed how you spent your day.

“Are you tired?”

“mmm not really.” You sighed and leaned your head on Jin’s shoulder as you both walked to an opening in the park that faced a large grassy hill, with a lonely tree standing tall and proud.

 

Jin shuffled in front of you, crouching down and flapping his hands behind him.

“Hop on.”

“What?”

“Come on I’ll carry you” He glanced back over his shoulder,raising his eyebrows and nudging his head for you to climb on his back.

You tried to remain calm, but inside you felt like a 4 year old who wanted to bounce and scream as you clung to his back, which proved just as well muscled as his chest.

 

Step by step you both made your way up the hill. Your face snuggled next to Jin’s soft red hair and your arms dangled over his chest. You sighed as the view of the park got larger and as the sun slowly fell further into the sky.

 

You were distracted by everything you could see from the hill that you hadn’t noticed you were at the top.  Jin swung you off his back and gently to the grass, laying you down near the tree. You were close enough, but not too close that you couldn’t see the sky and the clouds forming into different shapes.

 

“What do you see?” Jin laid down beside you in the grass, his hand find your and lacing your fingers together with his. You looked over to him but his eyes were latched to the sky above.

“What do I see?” You re asked the question a bit puzzled, but you remained thinking about it.

“Yeah, in the clouds.” He remembered the clouds….

“I see…”

You honestly had to observe the varying shapes that were scattered across the darkening night sky.

“I see a flower.” You finally answered him.

“what kind?” He asked immediately, as if he already knew your answer.

“A rose.”

You watched the cloud disperse out of his floral shape and mended with other fragments of clouds that previously separated.

“Really a rose…” Jin’s cheeky voice tempted you to roll over and face him. You looked to your side to see him already propped up on one elbow, twiddling a rose between two fingers.

“Where did you get that rose from?’ You looked at him perplexed.

“Somewhere.” He had been vague with specific questions you asked all day but you shrugged it off and accepted the rose.

“Think of it as a reminder of today.”

 

It hit you then. He said just for one day.

 

“Just for one day! Let’s be together for today.”

 

When today ended you may never see Jin again, but you wanted to. You wanted to really fall for him, but you couldn’t just say it.

So you nodded, bringing the rose to your lips to feel the velvet soft pedals on your skin.

 

“So why me?”

“hmm?” You question peaked his interest, making him sit up a little more, hovering over your still flat body.

“Why did you pick me.”

He laughed softly but it was a pained chuckled, filled with sympathy.

“It’s not like that” he your cheek softly, his thumb tracing the line under your lower lip.

“You picked me…”

“How-”

He stopped the words from leaving your mouth with a gentle kiss, his hand still cupping your cheek.

“Don’t think too much, just look at the stars…” He pulled back and you saw the fear and longing you felt reflected in his eyes.

You said nothing more as he laid down beside you and pulled you close, so your head laid on his chest. His fingers drawing figure eights on your upper arm.

It was soothing.

The darkening purple blue sky speckled with stars, the rise and fall of his chest and the steady strong beat of his heart.

All of it was soothing.

For Just One Day.