They had been walking in complete silence for a while. Parthenia glanced up at him every so often but was scared he would catch her staring. She didn’t have the courage to start asking random questions even though she really wanted to do just that. It was also slightly embarrassing that he was so tall. Before leaving the noisy café Taeyong had gracefully taken her yellow and white umbrella from her hands to hold it over their heads. It made sense for the tallest of the pair to hold the umbrella, still though, she was the one who had offered it in the first place.

The park Taeyong was taking her to thankfully was not too far away. To be completely honest it wasn’t exactly a park. The place was specially curated as a garden with a variety of plants, trees, and flowers and a majority had Japanese origins. It was absolutely breathtaking. It was his favorite place to be aside from home. Very few people came even when it was sunny because it was so quiet. Here he could collect his thoughts in peace.

“Isn’t this the Meji Gardens?” Parthenia asked confused. “I thought we were going to a park.”

“That’s eighteen questions left.” Taeyong mumbled as the passed through the entrance.

“That’s not fair.” She countered her lower lip forming a pout. Taeyong shrugged letting her know without his words that he wasn’t taking the statement back.

That silence settled over them again. Taeyong searched for the quickest path to the Japanese pagodas. They were small intimate spots that once occupied others weren’t allowed to enter. That’s all he needed, somewhere as isolated as possible. Glancing down at her, he knew she was tired from all the walking which gave him an even greater sense of urgency. The rain was also getting a bit harder to trudge through. As they went deeper into the garden Parthenia tripped over air again but this time he caught her before she hit the muddied ground. Sadly he had to sacrifice her umbrella but at least she wasn’t hurt.

“Uh. Um. Uh…Lee you can….you can let go.” She stuttered trying to push him away. She was at a disadvantage because of strength he realized not because of skill. He didn’t know much about martial arts but guessed it was definitely more focused on using someone else’s strength against them. She was so tiny there was no way she could win any type of fight based on brute force alone.

“At least stand up right before pushing.” He said tilting her body back into an upright position. And then he realized she was wearing a dress. Usually he had much better observation skills than normal people but he just didn’t see it before.

She was wearing a vintage style 1950’s baby pink swing dress. The body was fitted to her torso but a little loose so that she could breath. Its pleats touched her knees and the neckline separated into two pieces of fabric which she tied into a bow at the nape of her neck. The hem of her pleats were splattered by specks of mud which he doubted she had noticed. He couldn’t remember any young women he knew wearing anything vintage that suited them so well. For a moment he was at a loss for words.

“Ah my umbrella!” Parthenia shouted watching it being dragged through the mud by the wind. Snapping out of his trance Taeyong rushed to get it. Once he had recaptured it he turned back to her and pointed in the direction of the pagodas. Nodding she followed him and wrapped his bomber jacket around her tightly.

Just as some thunder rumbled in the distance they reached their destination soaked with rain. Taeyong left her umbrella at the entrance of the pagoda so the mud could slide off. Parthenia shivered slightly but stared out at the lake near them in amazement.

“How did you know about this place?” She asked watching koi fish dart around and lightening reflect on the surface of the water.

“Seventeen questions left.” He answered sitting down on the bench she was perched on. “I come here to think and relax. “Not too many people come here so it’s quiet.”

“Quiet.” She repeated after him. Then she turned and sat down on the bench beside him. “How old are you? Are you in school?”

“Not even a warning huh?” He laughed watching her. Her face changed colors again and she made an effort not to look at him. “I’m twenty-six and right now I’m finishing my last semester for my Master’s in Thanatology.”

“Thana what?” She turned back to him the bewilderment a normal reaction he had gotten from peers and strangers a like.

“Thanatology, the study of death, my dear.” He sighed already used to the next set of speculative bombardment she would probably start any moment. She looked back out at the lake with the thriving koi fish and the trees surrounding them.

“You seem to enjoy living things, why study death?” Unsure about how to feel about his choice of study. Not that it mattered how she felt about it, they were merely acquaintances.

“You’re definitely the first person to phrase that question differently. I usually get the simple why.” He chuckled closing his eyes. “Ironically it’s to live.” He explained quickly. “It’s just to live.”

Parthenia stared at his face blatantly since his eyes were closed. There was a crease between his brows changing his calm expression into one of contemplation. She took the hint that he didn’t want to give the more detailed explanation so she let it go.

“It’s your turn. I asked six questions already,” she moved a bejeweled butterfly hair pin for the left to the right.

“Do I have to?” he opened one eye and saw the movement of the pin and when she shrugged.

“It would be terribly one sided for me to ask all the questions.” She replied taking her shoes off and crossing her legs underneath her.

“Well I know you’re short, you have a temper, you’re embarrassed easily and you’re more innocent than I thought a girl could be in this day and age. You’re twenty-four and have taken Brazilian jujitsu since you were two so that’s around twenty-two years. What I don’t know is why you speak like that, do you go to school and your biggest dream in life.”

“I speak this way because I like it. It makes me different from others, peculiar.” She twisted a tiny lock of hair around her equally small index finger. “I have my Masters in Music Theory, and my biggest dream in life…” A precious smile formed on her lips giving her that aura of innocence he could see a mile away. “It’s simple and maybe it goes against all this feminist ideology about women not needing anyone to be independent. But more than anything I want to fall in love.”

“That sounds pretty normal.” He said not thinking about feminist ideals at all. She sounded like a normal 21^st century girl to him.

“It does, doesn’t it?” She laughed with an airy bubbly of breath. “But to me it’s different. I want to fall in love with my future husband. But I don’t want a normal relationship. I want a lovely, simple relationship. One where I don’t need to be over-dramatic to express my feelings. One where a natural touch will make me happy and satisfied. Something where there is no need to touch each other but when we do it’s a moment of blissful joy.”

“Now it sounds like you’re asking for a lot.” He commented while his eyes really had never left her. She was glowing, absolutely radiant speaking about what she wanted.

“I rather ask for a lot than ask for too little.” She sighed with the same airy bubbly type of breath. “And what’s your greatest dream, Lee?”

“I don’t have one.” He replied just as quickly as he did before. The innocent radiance she held was joined by annoyance.

“That’s not fair.” She said crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“I never said I would be.” He was serious when he said he didn’t have a dream though. It just never occurred to him. Parthenia stretched out her hand and flexed her fingers. “What?” he asked.

“Give me your phone.” She demanded and practically snatched it from his hand when he took it out of his pocket. “We’re going to talk more now. You can’t walk around living without a dream.”

She put her phone number in then texted herself so she would have his. Taeyong looked at her saved number to see she had saved it as Nia. Looking at her again all he could think of was how much the shortened version suited her more than her actual name.

“Can I call you Mia?” he asked without thinking. She gave him a quizzical look then smiled mischievously.

“Can I help you find a dream?” she asked back.

“Sure.” He replied more interested in her name.

“Then you can call me whatever you like. Mia, Nia, Mia Nia. Whatever suits you’re fancy as long as we get you a dream to live for then I don’t care.”

He changed her name on his phone to Mia Nia that instant.

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A VintageSerenity Note

If you guys are at all interested in listening to the music I listened to while writing this chapter I'm listing it below. Later on a might make a Youtube playlist so you guys can listen to all the songs I've used for inspiration. But in the mean time here they are.

1. Serendipity by BTS Jimin

2. Kaze No Machi He by FictionJunction KEIKO (from Tsubasa Chronicles)

3. Perfect Day from the Peter Rabbit cartoon *this one was what I used for Chapters 1 and 2*

Also I will be updating every Monday night so look forward to more chapters!