Weeks went by after that day at his house.  Things were pretty mellow at school.  Girls stopped hating on me, the boys didn’t tease quite so much anymore, and I won a few more races in track.  Everyone got caught up in the workload put on us by our teachers, so most of Youngmin and my dates were study sessions.  We even did ‘group dates’ with Kwangmin and Hyesoo, if you can really call it that.

Outside, snow covered the ground in a thick, white blanket of frost.  Flakes fell regularly from the sky, never allowing more than a moment’s reprieve from the oppressive descent.  Track was suspended for the time being, giving everyone a much needed break.  With the season getting colder, the festivities began brewing and Christmas was just around the corner.  Although I hated winter and snow and crap, I loved Christmas.  Something about the warmth in a simple cup of hot cocoa coupled with traditional holiday music made enduring this dead season worth every boot-trudge through the unforgiving snow.

“Hey, Jin!” a voice called to me –a very familiar voice.

I turned around, a smile playing on my lips.  “Youngmin oppa,” I greeted.

“What are you doing Saturday?” he asked.

I thought about it.  “Umm…probably just catching up on homework before the finals.  Why?”

A grin spread across his face.  “Cool, then I get you Saturday night.  Kwangmin is gonna have to pick you up, though.  Is that alright?”

I nodded, excited at what he had planned.  “What are we doing?”

He held a finger to his lips, winking.  “That’s a secret.”

I grumbled, “Isn’t it always?”

Saturday night rolled around and I checked myself in the mirror one more time.  Curled, pretty hair?  Check.  Light, but masterfully applied makeup?  Check.  Good skinny jeans?  Check.  Cute, light pink shirt?  Check.  Stylish, but practical boots for the snow?  Check.  White pea coat?  Check.  Warm gloves?  Check.  Scarf to match my outfit?  Check.  I was ready to go.

I hopped down the stairs and waited until Kwangmin rang my doorbell at 7:00 pm. 

“Bye, Umma, I’m leaving!” I called to her as I closed the door behind me.  Then I turned to the brunette in front of me.  “Ready?”

“Not quite yet,” he replied, leading me back to the car parked on the curb.  He opened up the passenger side door, removing something from the seat.  Turning his attention to me, he held out what was in his hand.  A single, yellow rose, thorns neatly clipped, and petals fully unfurled.

“A yellow rose, symbolic of joy and true friendship,” Kwangmin informed, as if he were reciting from a card.  “Outside on this spot, a friendship began to grow.  Youngmin might have seemed cold at first, but he knew right away that he wanted to be your friend.  This was where he first talked to you, the place where your friendship began to form.”  He smiled embarrassedly and returned to the car, reopening the door for me.  Confused and curious, I ducked in and we drove in silence until we reached our destination.

“The school?” I questioned as we pulled into the parking lot of the high school.  “Not very conventional.”

Kwangmin laughed.  “Well, not exactly the school.  Youngmin wants you to go to the green house.”

My heart skipped a beat and a smile graced my lips.  Without further adieu, I jumped out of the car and made my air to the green house through the brisk air.  Kwangmin followed silently behind me.  When we both reached the door, he stopped me before going in, handing me a card neatly folded and kept closed by a yellow ribbon tied around it. 

“Take this and you can look at it when you get home, but not before then.” 

“What do you mean?” I asked, but he ignored my question and spun on his heel, trudging back through the snow to the car.  Sighing, I opened the door to the green house, stepping inside to the warmth.

A figure sat neatly on one of the metal tables, examining an object in his hands.  But it wasn’t Youngmin.  It was Donghyun.  Holding a single orange rose.  He peered at me as I entered.

“Jin,” he smiled.  I smiled back, confusion furrowing my brow.

“Where’s Youngmin?”

“You’ll see him soon,” he promised.  “But he wanted me to give you this first.”  He handed me the bright orange rose and I added it to the yellow I already carried.  “This was yours and Youngmin’s special place, right?”  I nodded.  “Here, he said he was able to gain the confidence to talk to you, to ask you questions and learn the things about you he might not have learned else wise.  This was special to him before you came, but now it’s your memory that lingers here that he revels in when he is here.”

I looked up at Donghyun with wide eyes.  What was going on?  What was with the flowers?  Why such the cheesy monologues?

The older boy chuckled softly.  “I’ve said too much.  I think it’s time to get going.  You want to see Youngmin, neh?”

Blankly, I nodded my head and he led me out into the cold night air and back to the parking lot, unlocking an unfamiliar car and letting me in before taking his own spot and driving to the other side of the school.  He parked just outside of the track field.

Again, he led me out of the car and inside the stadium where I saw Minwoo pacing up and down the lanes, toying with something in his hands.  I looked to Donghyun.

“Here,” he gave me another card similar to the one that Kwangmin had given me, but this one was tied with an orange bow.  “Take this, but don’t read it until Youngmin says you can.”  He gestured for me to go to Minwoo and waited until I started to make my over to leave.

“Minwoo-ah?” I called to him uncertainly.

He jerked his attention to me.  “Jin!” He exclaimed excitedly.  Rushing over to me, the exuberant boy gave me a tight hug.  Then, just as abruptly, he pulled back.  “Oops, don’t want to crush it.”  He examined the dark-petal rose in his hand, checking for any damage done.  “Okay, it’s alright.”  Minwoo gave a sigh of relief.

“Minwoo, what is going on?” I asked, thoroughly confused.

“Oh, right.  Well, I’m supposed to say something to you, but I can’t say it from memory, so can I just read it to you from the card?”  Without waiting for a reply, he tugged a small, rectangular piece of paper from his pocket and began to read.  “You were always trying to run away, and I tried to catch you, but you seemed to just be beyond my grasp.  Indigo represents the characteristics of constantly being in motion.  I was lucky that you slowed down enough for me to hold onto you.  Stop running away and stay with those you have with you now.  Stay with me now.”  With the end of the message, Minwoo looked to my eyes.  “Honestly, I have to agree with Youngmin hyung.”

I smiled softly, tears stinging my eyes.  I couldn’t speak, afraid that I wouldn’t be able to contain my emotions if I did.  Minwoo took my hand and pulled me to parking lot next to the track. 

I don’t know how all of these sixteen-year-old boys knew how to drive, but I learned not to question it.  We stopped outside a café that I’d only visited once before with Youngmin.  It was the place we’d gone after our study session at his house.  Minwoo dragged my stupor self out of the car and inside.  We stopped just after we stepped in and Minwoo turned me to look at him, but my eyes were busy roaming the café for a familiar sight of blonde hair.  That is, until something was placed in my hands.  I looked down and saw another note tied in midnight blue ribbon.

“I’m guessing I’m not allowed to look at this until Youngmin lets me,” I mused, returning my gaze to Minwoo.

He smiled and nodded.  “But now, go to Jeongmin hyung.  He’s waiting for you.”  Minwoo turned me and that’s when I noticed a head of perfectly combed curly hair sitting up to a booth.

With one last glance at Minwoo, I made my way over to my next partner.  Sitting down from across Jeongmin, I stared at the lavender rose on the little round table. 

“I don’t know much about what happened here,” Jeongmin’s voice flowed through my ears, capturing my attention, “but Youngmin told me enough.”  He held up the light purple flower.  “This might be lavender, but what should be mostly focused on here is the green.”  It was then that I noticed that the purple rose held three more leaves than the other roses.  “Lavender represents femininity all grown up.  Symbolic of youth, but with the grace of maturity.  You were forced to grow up fast, and although it wasn’t fair, it’s what made you who you are today.”  I stared at the flower Jeongmin held in his slender fingers, also thinking of how the hue represented the color of bruises, and how the bruises were what made me grow up fast.  “But the green,” the boy continued, “represents the knowledge that Youngmin gained here.  He learned about a deeper part of you, what hid beneath the smile you wore.  It was a door that opened up to more opportunities for you two to grow closer and for him to learn more about you.”  Jeongmin smiled tenderly. 

“Why?”  I asked breathlessly.  “Why is Youngmin doing this?  Why is he making me want to cry?”

Jeongmin’s expression pinched in worry, reaching out a hand to place over mine.  “Jin, don’t cry.  Believe me, this is supposed to be happy.”

I smiled through my water eyes.  “I am happy, and touched.  I want to cry at the sweetness that Youngmin has put into everything.  But where is he?  I want to see him.”

The smile returned to Jeongmin’s face.  “Soon, you’ll see him soon.  Let’s go, we’re done here.”

Still holding my hand, Jeongmin handed me the lavender rose, and guided me out to the car parked outside.

I gasped as I realized where we were.  This scene was all too memorable with the moonlight shining on the silver frost.  Jeongmin looked at me.  “Familiar?”  I could only nod.

We made our way up the hill that rose gently next to a small park, feet trudging through the snow that covered the ground in a thin layer.  Just before we reached the top, Jeongmin paused, holding me back by my hand.

“Jin, this is where I let you go.  Don’t worry, this night will be a good one,” Jeongmin assured, pressing a piece of paper into my hand, this one tied in place with a lavender tie.  He folded my fingers over the mysterious message that would be added to the others safely tucked away in my coat pocket.  Smiling tenderly, the boy leaned in and kissed my cheek –more of a brotherly gesture than anything else- and I smiled up at him before finishing the distance to the top.

A person I assumed to be Hyunseong stood with his hands behind his back, basking in the light from the moon.  Upon my arrival, he averted his gaze from the night sky to me.  He turned fully and with long strides made his was over. 

“Hi, Jin,” he said.

“Hi, Hyunseong.”

Withdrawing a hand from behind him, he held out a pink rose, its petals glistening gloriously in the soft light.  “This is for you.”  He waited until I took it to continue.  “Pink, an expression of admiration and appreciation.  This is where you fully opened up to Youngmin, were he was able to fully admire you for your strength and courage.  Here is where the last stages of his feelings for you fully developed and he knew that he would never let you go.”

I reached out as he handed me the light pink rose, adding it to the bouquet in my hand.  The tears escaped then, and Hyunseong tenderly wiped them away.  Sniffling, I hid my face in the fragrance of the flowers.  He laughed quietly and gave me a half hug, careful not to crush the delicate blossoms.

“Are you ready to see Youngmin?” he asked, and I nodded eagerly. 

We returned to my neighborhood and I gave Hyunseong a questioning look.

“Just wait, you’ll see,” he responded.  Trusting him, I kept silent, anticipating.  We pulled up to the front of my humble home and he opened the door for me, handing me a folded card tied closed with a shimmering pink ribbon.  I gazed from it to the boy in front of me, then to the front door where I noticed a shadow outlined in the dark.

Youngmin.

I looked at Hyunseong one more time and with one nod of encouragement from him, I flew up the path to the steps.  There he was, in all his blonde-haired, brown-eyed, perfect smile glory.  Without anymore hesitation, I threw myself in his arms, holding him tight, not caring anymore for the roses in my hands.  His arms wrapped around me, pulling me even closer in the embrace.  Somewhere in the distance, I heard a car drive off, but the notice only made it to the recesses of my mind, buried deep in my sub-consciousness.  A small hiccup escaped my throat and Youngmin pulled back, staring into my face. 

“Jin, don’t cry,” he whispered, kissing away the few tears that stained my cheeks.  I hiccupped again through a smile, trying to hold back the emotions overflowing in my heart.

“Pabo, don’t do this whole thing and then tell me not to cry,” I admonished lightly.  “It’s your fault anyway.”

Youngmin smiled and pulled me to him again momentarily before letting go.  He held out one more rose, a beautiful, wine red flower, its petals appearing as though they were stained thoroughly.  With trembling fingers, I took the bloom.

“Everyone knows what red symbolizes –love, passion, beauty.  But it also represents strength and courage.  I want our relationship to be all of those things.  I want it to be full of love for each other, to be something beautiful that we’ll cherish, to be strong and long lasting.  Do you remember that one night, when I took you to Lotte World?  When I dropped you off, I wanted to kiss you so badly, but I was afraid how you would take it.  I liked you a lot, but I wasn’t sure how you felt.  So I decided to be safe and just go, but all the way to my car, I was already feeling the regret.  That’s when I knew I couldn’t leave without doing something.  So I came back, and gave you my first kiss.  It was one of the best decisions of my life.  That moment changed my life, and it brought our friendship to a whole new level.  I don’t regret one thing that happened, and I hope that you don’t either,” he paused, his eyes staring into mine, teeth biting into his bottom lip.

“I don’t regret anything,” I confirmed softly, unable to speak above a whisper.

Youngmin smiled and handed me the rose.  “I love you, Jin.  I love you more than I ever thought I could feel for someone.”

Thick, hot, fat tears slipped from my eyes as I held the bouquet of a half dozen roses.  A single rose representing one moment that brought us closer together, that brought us to where we are now.  Rising on my toes, my lips met his in a tender kiss.

“I love you, Youngmin,” I murmured, all of my emotions pouring into those few words.  So simple, yet impacted with tremendous meaning and worth. 

He grinned, kissing me lightly one more time, and then reaching into his pocket to remove a card with a red ribbon tied in a bow.

“These cards say what each rose represents and why I chose them.  You can do whatever you want with them, but I hope that you keep them and cherish them, so that you can look back on tonight and remember everything that has happened to bring us to this point.”

Carefully, he removed the flowers from my hands, setting them on the ground, and pulling me into a bone-crushing embrace, our hearts fluttering against the other’s, and then kissed me tenderly but passionately.  In his arms, reveling in his kiss, I felt safe.  I wasn’t sure where this relationship would go, I didn’t know how long it would last, but I knew what I wanted and what I would fight for, and suddenly, the future didn’t seem so frightening, so uncertain.  I didn’t know what would come next, but I knew, with Youngmin by my side, I could withstand anything thrown my way.

Thank you everybody for staying with me this long. This story really helped me grow and learn as a writer. I know I still have more to learn and have to develop my writing more so that it is more interesting, but I am on my way there and that is what is important. Thank you for all of your support and comments and love. I hope you continue to stay with me and check out the link below to find out more about future works that are underway and much better than this experiment. (An experiment, may I say, lasted 184 pages on Word Document and 72,417 words.  That's approximately a novella!) Thank you again and I deepy encourage you to check out the link below and give me your thoughts!  This story earned 25 subscribers and I hope that my future works will gain more popularity.

http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/326578/mingled-thoughts-drabbles-fanfiction