Chapter 8: Petal.

#10

    If you go to Japan, you can't miss the cherry blossoms and the best place to take a look in Tokyo is in Shinjuku Gyoen, a huge park and garden with a wide variety of trees and flowers since Edo period.

    Bang Yongguk and Junhong walked between the sakura trees, it was late April, so the flowers were in full blossom.

    A lot of people gathered together to watch the trees with round pink flowers surrounded by light green leaves.

    There were parents with their children, young couples and newlyweds. The majority of them were lying on the soft grass while others had picnic.

There were food carts selling sakura-flavored food from traditional japanese desserts to western ones.

    The sweet smell of the candies and cakes filled the air and caught Junhong's attention that advanced to a food cart that displayed sakuramochis, pink seaweeds with pink jelly, manjus with filling of cherries, etc.

    “Junhong-ah, are you hungry?” Yongguk followed the younger towards the desserts. “You just had breakfast not long ago.”

    “I've always wanted to try food made of sakura.”

    “You can eat whatever you want once we're back at the hotel.”

    “Come on, we're already here, hyung!” Junhong said “You want to try it too, don't you? Come on, hyung, hyung!!!” Junhong clutched Yongguk’s arm and shook it eagerly at the same time he jumped like a rabbit with sugar overdose.

    Junhong was 20 years old, but still behaved like a kid whenever he wanted something from his hyungs. Right now he wanted Yongguk to buy him a dessert, and the truth to be told, the older wanted one too; they looked good and smelled good.

    “Fine.” Yongguk gave up; Junhong rested the head on his shoulder.

    “I want sakuramochi.” Junhong said.

    “Me too. Can you, please, give us two sakuramochis?” Yongguk said hesitantly, a lot of times he needed a translator, but Junhong didn't want to take the translator with them because that would feel like work instead of vacations.

    “There's only one left.” The old lady offered the plate, with a small pink rice ball covered in sakura leaves, to them.

    “It's ok, we can share it.” Junhong took the sakuramochi and Yongguk paid for it.

They started walking again. Yongguk was older, so he let Junhong to eat first.

   “It tastes like cherry-flavored candy.” Junhong said after giving the sakuramochi a big bite.

    “You sound disappointed.”

    “I thought this would taste... I don't know. I've never eaten food made of sakura... It's not bad, though, it's very sweet. Hyung likes sweets.” Junhong held the half mochi against Yongguk's lips.

    The older opened his mouth and lic(ked) the surface of the mochi, he could taste the sugar, and he really liked sweets, so he had a big bite too, so quick he almost bit Junhong's fingers.

    “Wow, hyung, you really like it.” Junhong’s heart beat fast after Yongguk’s lips brushed his fingers. Then he suc(ked) his finger that was almost chewed by the leader.

    Yongguk felt a sudden twinge of something while Junhong suc(ked) and lic(ked) his index finger and thumb before him.

    Yongguk couldn’t stop watching the taller; his fingers, his hand, his lips, even the tip of his tongue... Those gestures made him feel something, he didn't know what though.

    “This is our last day here, so let's hurry and visit the other places.” Junhong pulled Yongguk from his thoughts.

    “Yeah, let's go...” Yongguk shrugged.

    Like always he was overthinking, whatever he felt wasn't important, he thought.

They headed to the exit. The petals from the sakura flowers started falling like snowflakes dyed in pink. Suddenly, Yongguk placed a hand on Junhong's head.

    “What?” Junhong asked, disconcerted.

    “You had this tangled in your hair.” Yongguk showed him a petal.

    “It's a petal of sakura flower!!! Hyung, some people say it's bad omen to pick a sakura or any part of it because sakuras rot easily!!!”

    “Come on, Junhong.” Yongguk laughed “There's no such thing like bad omen.”

    Yongguk grabbed another petal on Junhong's hair then another and another. The petals kept falling from the trees and landing on Junhong's hair.

    “No! Stop it, hyung!!! It's bad to pick sakuras up!!!” Junhong slapped Yongguk's hands away of his hair clumsily.

    “Since when you believe in those things?” Yongguk asked, stunned.

    “I don't believe in those things, but just in case it's real to get bad luck from grabbing sakuras, I don't want anything bad happening to you.”

    Yongguk burst out laughing, Junhong was cute for worrying so much for him, but he also was stupid for believing in bad omen and bad luck.

    “Why are you laughing?” Junhong felt hurt.

    “Sorry, I'm sure I can remove the whole tree and nothing bad is going to happen... But if the omen is true, I don't mind.” Yongguk waved his hand in the air “I have the best charm ever.”

    “What charm?”

    Yongguk took hold of Junhong's hand tightly.

    “You.”