Field of Dandelions
Description
As the CEO and creator of a major children's toy corporation; Kim Taehyung does not have many days where he isn't enjoying his work. Every hour he spends endulged in his work brings him great joy, but along with the happiness is a haunting reminder of what he lost back in his years of high school. He lost the only girl he had ever saw a future with, maybe even the only girl he loved when he really sat down and thought about it. But with that, he also lost his chance to become a father to their child.
Things happen when a man and a woman love each other. It's the birds and the bees talk that every parents has with their kids eventually, Taehyung's parents certainly had it with him. But in the heat of the moment things were forgotten and they had both become reckless, and ultimately Hyun Ji had to pay the price alone.
A heated fight lead to one thing and then another, before the cat was let out of the bag. He was young, he was scared. He didn't know what to do and he ran, leaving the responsibilty on his girlfriend, Choi Hyun Ji. It seemed easy at the time; to think, 'It isn't mine! You cheated on me! Take care of it on your own!' but by the time he realized his mistake... she had disappeared. Choi Hyun Ji had dropped from high school only a few days later, and when he worked up the courage to talk things out months later; her parents had said they had kicked her out and had no idea where she had been staying, with a few profanities thrown at him as well.
A few months passed and not a day went by that he didn't imagine her next to him as they picked out baby clothes for their child. A few years passed and not a day went by that he didn't cry that he wasn't waking up to his child's smile and falling asleep with it nestled in his arms. A few years passed and not a day went by that he didn't wonder who the child took after in looks and personality. Not one day ever passed that he wished he had been a man and watched their beautiful child grow and their family grow as well. Thoughts have haunted him every year that passed him by like racing cars.
But those were the years before he had started his toy company, and now he didn't have time for Hyun Ji or his child to occupy his thoughts until the few moments before he drifted to sleep every night. Until at a recent industry gathering, his rival in sales CEO Park Jimin enters carrying a beauty on his arm and next to her a young boy that has a stricking resemblance to Kim Taehyung.
Foreword
A childhood filled with innocence and naiveté, just like any others. Sprinkled with the few trips that the family could afford, maybe to the nearest busy city or if finances allowed it; Jeju soil beneath rubber soled shoes. Afternoons in the summer spent with popsicles between their teeth or ice cream trickling down their fingers, and dripping onto the new trousers their mother had purchased. Cold wind nipping at their bare flesh as they pranced through the snow in nothing but their underwear for their punishment in losing the game. A childhood filled with quick glances at each other, and shockingly large grins. Soft words and tender touches. A childhood filled with promise, and hopes for bright futures.
“Mama had a baby…” Taehyung’s fingernail sliced through the dandelions stem, “And the head popped off!” His thumb flicked the head of the dandelion in the direction of Hyun Ji, though it fell short in the most disappointing of ways. Bummer.
“I’m trying to study here…” Hyun Ji muttered to him, not even giving him the satisfaction of a glance, “And stop playing with the weeds. They’ll make your hands smell bad.”
A small frown formed on Taehyung’s lips, that’s all she did, was study! Talk about a boring date. “I thought they were flowers…” Her thin fingers turned the page of her literature book; letting the breeze carry it over for her and a deep sigh escaped her lips as she began all over again. Quickly his hand reached out and grabbed her thin wrist, pulling it in his direction for a better look.
“Ah? What’s this? Huh, huh?” He teased, his eyes glancing at her face then back to her fresh manicure, “It’s so pretty! Did you do this for our date? I bet you did!” He smiled widely admiring the pale mint blue color of her nails and cute pearls glued onto her ring fingers. It was a desperate attempt to soak in attention since the school day had not been enough to satisfy.
“I-I told you I’m trying to study…!” Hyun Ji grumbled again and wrestled her hand out of Taehyung’s grip, “It’s not like… It’s not like I expected to study during our date…” This time it was more of a whisper, as her cheeks grew more and more pink by the passing second.
“Ahhh… You’re so cute!” He chuckled and hid his face in the grass, his legs kicking in the air furiously. Her hand clamped down onto the back of his head and smothered his nose into the earth despite his whimpers of protest. What an annoying kid…! After the short tussle, silence fell between the couple once again as Hyun Ji resumed her studies and Taehyung was engrossed in the life of the insects roaming under the blades of grass.
The gentle breeze echoed in the leaves of the trees, and whistled in the blades of grass and foliage. The yellow dandelions swayed and danced around their bodies and tempted Taehyung to join in their games to get the sun to stop beating on his dark school blazer. His eyes lifted to look back to Hyun Ji, whos focus was only on her textbook. It was truly beautiful the way her eyelids closed and her long eyelashes just barely brushed her cheekbones each time she blinked, and the way she in her bottom lip when she was drinking in new information. There was a natural grace to her many women would envy. And with these thoughts occupying his mind, his eyelids closed slowly as he pictured her face behind them.
“Hyun Ji… I love you.” He sighed, the air expelled from his chest pressed him closer to the warm soil. The green grass tickled his cheeks and inner ear, there was a connection forming between the ground and him. Like any second it would swallow him whole like in a fantasy story.
“I love you too, Taehyung.” He didn’t need to open his eyes look up to see that she was smiling. It was all in her voice; the soft tone of it, the way it almost sounded like an annoyed sigh, the way her hand had grabbed onto his with the warmest of touches. The wind blew once again, and Taehyung’s eyelids opened slowly to a yellow field of dandelions before they traveled to find his loves eyes staring down at him.
“Someday, I’m going to make you my wife. You know that, right?” He grinned. And just like that he had ruined the moment, Hyun Ji rolled her eyes accompanied by her signature loud laughter. She slammed her books closed and scooped them up in her arms.
“I think I’m gonna be late for dinner if we don’t hurry!” She lied, sticking her tongue out at the young boy at her feet before taking off in a light jog for the path back to civilization.
Taehyung rolled to his back and stared at the puffy white clouds floating through the blue sky, a sigh dropping his chest. Someday, he echoed in his head with another rectangular grin on his face, I’ll make you my wife.
Comments