The wind biting at his cheeks was cold. Even with his big jacket, three layers of pullovers and the knitted scarf around his neck and lower face, he felt cold. Nothing could really change that, for the wind would always seem to find a way under his clothes and onto his skin. 

Despite the cold - he could clearly see each and every breath - the weather was the nicest he had seen for a long time. The sun was shining brightly in the blue sky. The clouds had disappeared, moving on to the next patch of land they could overshadow. It was this good weather that was the cause for the cold in the first place.

But Kibum didn't mind one bit. Walking around the city's botanical garden had been a good idea. Sometimes getting out of the dorm and onto the streets was refreshing, and highly welcomed even in this cold weather. After all, even idols needed time for themselves, far away from the hectic life in between cameras and attention. 

He was walking in between the different patches of green - the flowers weren't growing yet, it was still too cold - and for some reason he felt a lot more at ease now. It had been a tiresome time, these last few months. A lot of performances, a lot of practice for the new comeback, shootings everywhere they went... Kibum was happy that they were going to have a new album soon, though. It had been about a year and a half since their last korean comeback, and the time had flown so fast that he wondered where it had all gone to. He could imagine that their fans anticipated it a lot. A comeback at home was a lot different from promoting in Japan. 

Letting his gloved hand linger about one of the plants leaves, a rhododendron tree, he gently tugged at the green bush. It gave a small ruffle of leaves, and swayed back and forth in front of him. 

Yes - sometimes the little things were just the most fascinating. Kibum pulled the tree again, and again, and soon it became a game of tugging with the helpless plant. It wasn't about the pulling, Kibum concluded. It was about letting himself do whatever his feelings told him to do. 

He was the fashionista of the group, the nagging mother of a bunch of childish adults, as their fans often said. He wondered how he could fulfill the mother role, if he was by far just as childish as the others - only a lot more fastidious. He liked things clean and clear, special but in order. That's why he was always so distinctly styled. Unique things just seemed to challenge him to be special, at least in his fashion sense.

Kibum looked up at the sky, wondering what would come onto them soon and questioning the silence around him when he will be able to actually enjoy it again. Like this, alone, without cameras, fans, or s. Because time for oneself was important, even more when you were surrounded every single day of your life. 

A smile spread across his soft lips, and he closed his eyes to draw in a long, fresh breath. It was time to go back, he knew it. They only had so much time to themselves.

As if to confirm it, his handphone started to blast in his pocked. Letting the breath he was holding in his lungs out defeatedly, he fished the device out of his pocket and answered the call.

"Yeoboseyo?" He said once it was settled against his pierced ear. He looked down onto the ground as he shuffled his feet, trying to prolong his stay even for merely seconds. "Ne, I was planning on going back now, hyung." He nodded to no one in particular, listening to what Jinki was telling him over the phone. Then his eyebrows furrowed, and his nose crunched up as his voice grew louder. "Taemin did what?! ... ... ... Don't let that kid go. I am over there in -" He fumbled with the sleeve of his jacket, trying to get a good look at his watch. " - in five minutes. If he's gone by the time I am back, HE'S DEAD!" The phone call ended.

Running towards the exit of the botanical garden, Kibum left without a look back. You could only escape ordinary life for so long. It always finds you faster than you think.