Empty. He feels so empty. It’s not that he was all alone—in fact, he was in a garden. there are many people there. Sitting on the bench in the centre of the garden, right in front of the rose garden. “Sorry,” he heard that voice, that sweet voice, then he saw that eyes, that bright eyes, looking at him, as he blink, that person disappear from his sight, then he realize, it was only his imagination, but it feels so real.

He missed that person. He still remembered that day, the day he met that person. That day, he was so ed up. Everything just wasn’t going as how he wanted it to be. So, sitting on the bench, he took out a cigarette, and started smoking; he wasn’t exactly a heavy smoker, but that day he really felt like smoking. It had been his third one of the day, “” he mumbled as he remembered the call he received just before he sat on that bench.

            “E- excuse me..” He heard a voice. “Sorry, but did you see that sign?” that person asked him as he pointed at the no-smoking sign in front of him. ‘’ he thought as he looked at the sign, and shut the cigarette off, as he turned his face to face the voice owner, looking so annoyed. Then he saw him; that person. “I- I’m sorry.. it’s just my job to do that.” The voice owner suddenly said, shaking—maybe because he was afraid of Junhyungs glare at him—and for the first time on that day a smile formed on his lips.

            “Y- you’re not mad at me, are you?” that person asked, Junhyung shook his head as his answer. “Thank God..” that person mumbed, then started to smile to himself. “My name is Yoseop by the way, I’m new here, just got my job as the park maintenance here, what’s yours?” He still remembered how Yoseop’s smile looks like. It was so heart-warming, as if Yoseop could’ve just cure his scars with just a smile. For a second, he was captivated by his smile; he just sat there not saying anything, just looking at Yoseop, before answered ‘Junhyung’ to him.

            That smile. Even though Yoseop isn’t here right in front of him right now, he could still see Yoseop’s smile right in front of him. It shines like the sun—enlightening and warming. It reminds him of his mother’s smile. That heart-warming smile will always make him feel better.

            “Junyeong? Nice to meet you, Junyeong-ah” he still can hear Yoseop’s voice when he called his name—it still lingers in his head Yoseop pronounce his name as ‘Junyeong’ instead of the usual ‘Junhyung’.

            It has been a habit to him to go to the park after work, just to meet that person. To spend some time with him. He treasures every time he spend with Yoseop. It’s all are precious to him. He never regretted everything he had done with Yoseop, except for the last one.

            It was one Sunday when Yoseop suddenly calls him to accompany him working in the park.   So, he went there. The garden was crowded, making him wandering why Yoseop asked him to accompany him when there are so many people in the garden. “Hey, you’re really coming.” He heard Yoseop voice behind him, he can’t help it but his lips automatically form a smile at the voice as he turn around to face the voice owner before answered a ‘Yeap’. “Let’s go! Help me checking those roses.”.

            Yoseop pulled him to the rose garden with him. “Junyeong-ah..” Yoseop said, his expression suddenly changing—it wasn’t as cheerful as it was before, but rather it becomes more like he was unsure about what he was going to tell Junhyung.

            “What? What is it?” That was Junhyung’s answer to him—he could see that expression on Yoseop’s face, because of course, he isn’t blind and also because of Yoseop is easy to read.

            “Nothing.” Yoseop said suddenly, and continue to checking the roses. “J- Junyeong-ah… I always like to spend time together with you, and everytime you didn’t come here I always kept on wandering what are you doing, I kept on missing you. And I came to  think that I … I like you, I think that I like you so much, that I think I might regret never telling you once about it”.

            For a second Junhyung stopped what he did. He looks shocked of what he just heard. “I like you too.. as a friend, as a brother, of course…” he said, trying to say it as calm as he could.

            That is—of course—not the answer that Yoseop want. And Junhyung—surely—know what Yoseop actually mean when he said that he likes him. Just by his face—because Yoseop’s face is very easy to read, as if it is an open book to Junhyung. He could see the younger’s facial expression being so disappointed by the older male’s answer to him as the atmosphere became so quiet.

            The smaller male didn’t say anything to him ever since he heard the older male’s answer. “Thank you for helping me today” the smaller male said, breaking the silent between them. “Oh, Junhyung-ah” the name owner was shocked when he heard the smaller male didn’t call him like he used to. “It’s my last day here, you know… I just- want to spent my last day here with you, just like our first meet on my first day here,” he said, before stepping away, smiled—but it wasn’t that shining smile like the older male used to know, instead of making him feel the warmth, it left him with some kind of pain in his heart.

            It left the older dumbfounded, left him wandering what the smaller thinking. Ever since the smaller male’s confession to him, the smaller had never met him again, nor trying to contact him. And here he was just sat at the bench where he met him for the first time. Kept on wandering if the smaller male really meant the feeling he told me. After that sudden confession, both of them become awkward. The smaller male couldn’t even looked onto Junhyung’s eyes. As the sun sets, they bids good bye to each other. The smaller male smiles as he bids good bye, but Junhyung could see clearly that it wasn’t the usual smile the smaller male gave him. It was so clear to him that there’s pain behind that smile. But that day, he just brush it all off.

            After the smaller male left, Junhyung just kept on coming to the garden after work. Because, it had become his habit. He kept coming to that garden at the same time as he usually did, sat on the same bench, everyday, just like today. But still, it still felt so empty. It still felt so empty beause there’s no one that would call him from the distance. There’s no one to suddenly sat there and smiled to him. There’s no one there who would listen to him, comfort him, and make him smile like he used to do. Even though he sat just right at the perfect place to watch the sunset, he felt like he lost his sun.

            Soon, he realized. He was wrong when he answered the smaller male that he like him as a friend. He was all wrong, all of that warmth that he felt, the tingling in his heart that he felt every time he heard the smaller male’s voice, he didn’t like him as a friend. He loved him, he loved him. It wasn’t because of his habit that he kept on coming to the garden every day. It was because that person. Yang Yoseob. He realized the reason that he kept on coming to that garden because there’s a tiny little hope deep in his heart that he might be able to meet that person again. Even looking at that person from a distance is more than enough for him. But, he never came back.

             Junhyung attention caught by a butterfly that was perched on the flower in front of him had flown away. “when will he came back?” he never know. Just like Yoseob. He never know when will that person come back there, when will he see that beautiful smile again. He regretted everything that he told the smaller male on his last day on the park. If only he wasn’t so stupid. Now, it’s all too late for him. Just like that butterfly, the smaller male had flown away beautifully.

***

Happy new year everyone!
Here's a short one shot 
AH also, i want to say

Happy Birthday to Yoseop!!

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