0525

The middle of the day was unexpectedly vibrant and sweet. The rain last night swept clean the roads and left a tincture of freshness for the floras. The town was bathed in brilliant orange sunlight that was shining warmly, with no intention of harming the people who were strolling on the streets.  

It was a great day for Jihoon, until he lost the game against the manager and the other barista.

“Gentlemen, your hungry and bored manager would like to propose a brilliant idea.” The manager said while grinning to his baristas. “Let’s play rock, paper, scissors, the loser will have to buy lunch at the,”, he continued.

“I’m in,” the other barista uttered. Clearly, the two were hungry.

“But,I don’t want to eat?” Jihoon mumbled.

 “No, everyone will play. If you don’t-, I’ll cut your salaries.” The manager calmly stated.

“Let’s play!” Jihoon enthusiastically yelled.

“Rock, paper, scissors~”

“Jihoonie you lost, go buy our lunch,” the manager ordered him while grinning.

“No way, this is so childish. One more time,” Jihoon argued and they played again. He lost again and the manager kicked him out after giving him the money for the food.

That’s how Jihoon found his way going to the town and buying lunch for the three of them.

As he glanced above, warm blue hues was stretched seamlessly as if the sky had an unyielding determination not to provide a blanket of grey cloud. Sometimes there were puffy and tall clouds that dashed across it. Other times there were no more than mere wisps.

Every time Jihoon walked through the flowery path, he would stop to admire the cherry blossoms trees that have gathered around the sidewalk going to the cafe. He liked to think that they had been waiting every single time to greet him good mornings and goodbyes.

On his observation, the trees that lined the avenue seemed like they were losing their pink and cream buds to serve as a reminder that no season lasts. Perhaps they already knew that the spring was fast becoming summer and soon the leaves would all fall.

Jihoon hoped not.

He hoped that they would live every day, without a thought for the future or past. And always wished, that he wouldn’t have to say farewells.

Was it wrong to wish for an eternity?

Or at least, a different ending?

On the way to the town, past the cherry blossoms avenue, there was a small park built for the villagers. Before, the manager would ask Jihoon to buy some ingredients but lately, he rarely ordered him around. It had been a while since Jihoon visited the town.

Flower, hedges and bushes that grew around made the park friendlier and more attractive. The tall tree on the middle was surrounded by benches for people to sit.  On the corner, there was a slide and some swings on where children come and play.

While Jihoon was walking around the area, he heard some kids playing and a kid asking someone to pass the ball. That made him listen to them, as if the screams and laughs of the children were asking him to turn his head and watch them first.

Jihoon decided to glance for a while.

He saw around five to six kids running around and playing basketball on the court beside the park. They looked like they were having so much fun and couldn’t care less about the people around them. He also noticed the tall figure whome the kids gathered around, asking him to play with them.

The figure looked like a male, absolutely slim and tall in his shirt and sweatpants. Jihoon couldn’t see the person’s face since he was wearing a baseball cap. Some kids were hanging on his arms and some were hugging his waist as he tried to dribble the ball.

Jihoon couldn’t contain his smile as the pleasant noise got louder. Definitely, the children were enjoying their play.

“Linlin~ play with me too!”

Linlin?

Jihoon took a step closer to the park as the name registered to him.

Another step closer to see the person’s face better

-and another, just in time to watch the person took off his cap and wiped his sweat.

“Guanlin?” Jihoon taught that he just spoke to himself but he was wrong for it caught the attention of the boy.

“Hey, Jihoon.” With just the deep silky voice, Jihoon already knew that he was right. The genuinely sweet smile that Guanlin gave him was an unexpected yet a familliar kind of warmth.

Jihoon never had the chance to fully see the boy’s appearance before. So, he stood still ignoring his surrounding, as he was already fascinated by the beautiful view he was having.

When Guanlin stepped forward and his eyes shone brightly, reflected the gentleness of the sun. The sparkles in his eyes made them look alive, somehow happier than the previous days. His eyes’ colour were addicting like a roasted coffee bean,

-dark yet kind.

Jihoon then realized that Guanlin’s stare wasn’t intentionally cold, it was just thathis face somehow lacked the expression others had and his eyes would rest on a point, sometime on a person, and stay there longer. In fact, his stare made Jihoon felt a lot of things that he hadn’t experienced for a long time.

It's like he was starting something new, pleasured at gaining forward momentum but feared the change.

Keep it from being visible in order to prevent thyself from being miserable.

He watched Guanlin as he held his head high and walked towards him.  One could almost tell that he was an athlete just by his posture, well-proportioned built and healthy skin. He also noted that the boy’s shoulder wasn’t that wide but also not too narrow, it was just normal

-yet it looked strong and reliable.

Jihoon thought that Guanlin can never be a big person with only a small heart.

Every little step of him was a skip to Jihoon’s heartbeat.

Step

-Thump,

Step

-thump,

Step

-Thump,

Step-

-Thump,

Stop.

- Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

Jihoon didn’t dare to move, he was frozen on the spot, feeling his heart pounding inside his chest. As it got louder and louder, he got nervous with the notion that surely if Guanlin came anymore closer, he could hear the wild beating of his heart.

Jihoon was so overly aware with his heart throbbing so fast, it frightened him. He thought that he would regret this if he wouldn’t calm down for the next few seconds.

It was too dangerous.

Therefore, he inhaled deeply and tried to catch his breath as he was already feeling nauseated.

“Hey,” Jihoon attempted to say when Guanlin approached him.

“Are you okay?” The tall boy asked him in a soft and calming voice.

“Yeah, just feeling a little dizzy. I think it was too hot today.” Jihoon answered to assured him. Yet, he had to blink a few times and squint to clearly see the boy in front of him.

Jihoon caught the troubled face Guanlin was making, so he cracked a smile and mouthed that he was all right. 

“Are you going somewhere?” Guanlin asked him and Jihoon could still detect the worry in his voice.

“Yeah, I have to buy our lunch.” Jihoon replied with the most convincing tone he could do to convince Guanlin.

“Wait, let’s go together, ” the other boy stated and Jihoon couldn’t do anything but nod at him.

Both of them were surprised as Guanlin was embraced by the small children. from the small children he was playing with earlier. Jihoon observed the view in front of him and almost squealed as he noticed the tiny little hands that were wrapped around Guanlin’s waist.

“Linlin, don’t go please! Play with us more~,” a boy around seven years old pleaded as he looked up to Guanlin with puppy eyes.

Some kids tried to climb on Guanlin’s back and hugged his neck. One kidtugged his arms and pointed at the basketball court, asking him to play with him more. The scene in front of Jihoon was too adorable for him to handle, he let out a small laugh as he saw a kid hugging Guanlin’s arms and staring directly at him.

“Guys, I need to go.” Guanlin paused and glanced at Jihoon as if he was asking for help. “Go play with the other older brother there,” he continued and beamed an honest smile at the kids.

“Okay~” the kids responded immediately and walked away. Guanlin accompanied them back to get his things. He watched the kids as they engulf the taller boy with tight hugs and kisses on his cheeks. 

When Jihoon saw Guanlin running towards him, his eyes briefly scanned the park and looked for the older brother the younger boy was talking about. He was caught off-guard as he saw a tall figure with a pink hair,

-a shade of a peach. “Is that-?”

“Did you say something?” Guanlin neared Jihoon and asked.

“Nope, don’t mind me,” Jihoon’s eyes widen and answered. Then, the two started walking.

At that moment, Jihoon’s mind was occipied with the sight of the familiar colour of hair. He could still remember how painfully hard it was to see the masked expression of someone he cherished.

It was truly depressing, to the point that it almost broke him.

None of them wasn’t ready to be scarred again.

Not yet.

So, Jihoon tried to convince himself, It can’t be, right? He shook his head and cleared every thought that he had and tried to stop every flashback he was having.

One of our worst enemy is our memory.

Jihoon couldn’t remember the last time he strolled around on a high noon with someone else. He was extremely anxious before but a sigh of relief escaped his lips as he observed the boy beside him. Every movement Guanlin made seemed as though he planned it out ahead of time.

Jihoon adored the subtle tilt of the boy’s head whenever he saw a corner ahead of them, as if he was pondering if he should turn there. He found it lovely when those deep brown eyes enlarged whenever they found a tree with still a lot of blossoms attached to its branches. It pleased Jihoon when he noticed that

-their footsteps matched with each other.

A soothing sound of dulcet tones creating a wordless melody soon flowed into Jihoon’s ears. He was amazed as Guanlin continued to hum with happiness; the carefree notes fell into the air, making it mellower than before.

“What are you humming?” Jihoon asked while his head looked straight at the road.

“I also don’t know but it’s been in my head since yesterday.” Jihoon thought that Guanlin might be embarrassed that he heard him humming for he bowed his head and scratched the back of his neck.

Jihoon suddenly stopped in his tracks and waited for Guanlin to turn around. Maybe, the boy realized that there’s no one beside him anymore and looked back.

“So, you can sing too?” He teased Guanlin and put up a smug looking face.

“Stop, I can’t even remember the title of the song much more sing it.” Guanlin said in a deeper voice and continued to walk.

“Search for it?” Jihoon voiced as he fasten his steps to matchwith Guanlin’s long one.

“Yeah, maybe I should,” Guanlin told him. He also waited for Jihoon before moving forward.

As Jihoon reached Guanlin’s side, the two of them started to stride down the streets again. They walked together beside each other in a peaceful way.  Jihoon could almost feel at home, knowing that it was comforting yet heart fluttering.

A home is where we love- where your feet may leave but your heart can stay until you gain the strength to take it again.

“Have you eaten?” Jihoon politely asked Guanlin as he noticed that they were only two blocks from the shop where he would buy their lunch. The boy shook his head and Jihoon continued to talk.

“Then, buy your lunch and eat with us.”

As they arrived at the place, Jihoon hurried over at the counter to order their foods. When he was about to pay their bill, a hand suddenly blocked him from giving the money. Jihoon was shocked to see Guanlin handling money to the cashier and stared at him, hoping that the boy would get his message.

“I’ll pay. I insist.” Guanlin said, he clearly understood what .Jihoon’s expression meant then decided to ignore it. He was about to snatch the bag from Jihoon’s hand but the older boy wouldn’t let go of it.

“I’ll carry it. I insist.” Jihoon uttered and walked out from the shop, missing the gummy smile of Guanlin,

It was already around past 14:00 when they arrived at the Bom Kisue café. Jihoon knew that the manager would whine a lot if he was late even by a second. In just 10 minutes, they walked, more like jogged, from the town to the café.

“Lunch!” Jihoon yelled as soon as he opened the door of the café. As expected, the manager’s complain welcomed him.

Luckily, the café didn’t have much costumers at that time. There were only a couple of people inside who Jihoon recognized as their regulars.

“Oh goodness! I’m famished. What took you so lo-“ the manager paused instantly the moment he saw someone entering after his barista. “Oh! Hey, Guanlina!” he cheer