After dinner, I never saw the three of them again for the next two days. I spent most of the day prior to our first meeting at the hotel room, writing. Or I chose to walk at the Left Bank of the Seine River, passing shops and patisseries. At one point of the day, I stopped at a patisserie and helped myself to a box of macarons.

The day we were supposed to have our first meeting, I stopped by at Seohyun’s café and brought a box of macarons. She looked delighted and stopped for a while just to share some macarons and chat.

“I can’t wait to show you Paris.” She gushed, and though I hated when girls gushed, when it comes to Seohyun, she does gushing ever so naturally.

All I could give for a response was a nod.

“So, um,” I said, “Jongin said he’d text us where to meet.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Did he?” A sigh escaped her lips. “I’m not really expecting it… I tried calling and texting Kai constantly, just like we used to. I don’t get any response whatsoever. But whenever I check at his Instagram, he’s always updating! Worse enough, most of his pictures are with Yoona-unnie!”

I laughed at Seohyun. She sounded jealous, and I was sure she had feelings for him. But then again, I have a crush on her, so hearing her speak like that obviously started a fire I can’t contain.

I smiled before replying, “Seohyun, they’ve only been hanging out with each other for two days. It’s not like they’re already dating or something.”

Another sigh. Then, she answered, “I’m sorry. Maybe I’m just angry that there’s someone who’s between our friendship.”

I almost choked on my macaron at the statement. Seohyun and Jongin were close.  They were each other’s confidants and each other’s rocks. Their friendship were something both treasured deeply. And I can’t come between them. Otherwise, Jongin would probably talk about me the way Seohyun talked about Yoona.

I realized what Seohyun was trying to say: Kai is a permanent part of my life, and I’m also a permanent part of his. You guys are temporary.

***

I returned back to my room at five o’clock, in a gloomier mood than before. I thought I could win Seohyun’s heart when I walked in to the café, with my humor and a delectable box of macarons. Now, to her, I seem like someone who’s getting in the way of her longtime friendship.

I had gotten so gloomy that I didn’t realize my phone was vibrating. I totally ignored it, and the vibration stopped. This happened three more times until I finally picked up.

“Hello?”

“What took you so long to respond, Deer Boy?” The voice came from Jongin.

Great. Two days after we met, and he’s still as cold as ice. Plus, the nickname. Seriously. I’m a manly guy—get me a manly nickame.

“Um.” I couldn’t say much, so all I said was, “I got distracted.”

He clicked his tongue, a sign of annoyance, and finally managed to grunt a reply, “Alright. I just wanted to inform you guys to meet me at Jardin de Tuileries at 11:45. I’ll text you the address. And oh, Deer Boy?”

“What?” I said, trying not to sound irritated at the sound of “Deer Boy”.

“Wear something that’s not fancy. Just, wear something that if you lose it or get it torn, you won’t regret it.”

And then he hung up.

***

At exactly 11:30, I contacted concierge and said that I won’t be back until at least 4 in the morning. The response I got was, “Monsieur is going clubbing?”

I scoffed. “Tell me, do I look like I’m a man going clubbing?”

It was a true statement. I was wearing an old hoodie that is comfortable to me, but looks quite hideous with its light gray hue. My pants were torn and sewn back to pieces, and it wasn’t my favorite piece of clothing, but since Jongin told me not to wear anything I’d soon regret if it’s ripped,  I chose these pants. I still wore the sneakers I usually used, though, since it’s the only pair of pants I have.

“No, Monsieur. You don’t.”

I nodded, then walked out of the hotel. Though it looked dark and most of the buildings have turned into silhouettes, Paris still looked charming, with dim lights surrounding the streets and avenues. At least, I knew where I was going. I had nothing with me; just a pocket camera I thought would come in handy and my cellphone.

I pulled off my hoodie and threw it over my shoulders. Though it’s nearing midnight, the summer air still roamed the city. I couldn’t walk with my hoodie without feeling suffocated. I secretly wished Kris would send me to Paris at winter time or, oh, at least, during autumn.

Minutes later, I arrived at Jardin de Tuileries. From the opposite direction, I can see Seohyun running towards me. She was wearing a long-sleeved blue shirt with a huge teddy bear face on the front, and a pair of brown corduroys.

“Hey,” I said, trying to sound casual. “You look, um…”

“Weird?” she asked.

“Different,” was the only reply I could muster. She still looked cute in a teddy bear shirt, my truffle-eyed girl.

Or rather, Kai’s truffle-eyed girl. The thought of him erased any beautiful thought about her in the outfit.

“So, should we go in?” I inquired her.

She nodded, but as I tried to open the fence, I realized it’s locked. I’m sure whoever’s in charge of the keys was now safe and sound, asleep at his home.

I tried to kick the fence, in hopes of it falling to pieces. My effort was to no avail. I was going to say that I give up and invite Seohyun to spend the night with me at the hotel café, when a voice called from inside the fence.

“Hey!”

The voice was Yoona’s, waving at us. She was inside the fence, with Jongin, who’s sitting on the grass, laughing. At me, probably, for being such a .

“Did you guys just arrived?” I asked, totally  perplexed at the sight of them both. “Or did you guys went here when the gate was still open.”

Yoona shook her head.

“No! We arrived here when the gate was closed, just like you!”

Seohyun looked confused. “So how did you guys enter—“

By the time she stopped, her gaze was at the rows of gold, not shimmering as much as it is in sunlight, but still looked sunkissed. Then, her gaze went back to Yoona, whose legs are now spread out as she’s sitting on the grass. And at the dim light, it was obvious that she had an untreated graze on her right shin. The blood still seeping on her legs meant the graze was still new.

The graze only happened when one climbed the fence…

Oh wait, climb the fence…

“Is that how you guys did it?” I asked as my voice suddenly shaked. “B-by climbing the fence?”

Jongin nodded.

“Why, too scared for it, Deer Boy?” He laughed. “I tore my hoodie—“ he pointed to the huge hole at the hem of his hoodie “and Yoona here hurt her leg. I suppose you don’t want to be beaten by a girl?”

I shook my head. Definitely nod. And besides, I wanna look manly in front of Seohyun, who now looks worried.

“Don’t worry,” I said assuringly, “I’ll help you climb it over.”

She nodded, smiling at me, but the smile looked more like a fearful grimace.

I grabbed a railing and began to heave my body forward, to the top of the fence. The fence looked like golden spears, and I tried my best not to accidentally sit on top of it.

As I got a good grip on the railings, I tried lifting my feet off the ground so as to wrap it around the railing. But I figured it was a bad idea, so when I lifted it, I tried to put it on top of the railing I was grabbing.

It wasn’t a bad idea. It was worse.

The minute my sneakers hit the railing was the exact minute they slipped off the railing and are now hanging in the air. I tried lifting them up again, but everytime I tried, the grip in my hands loosen.

Jongin and Seohyun looked in shock, but Yoona looked distraught. Or scared, perhaps. She looked even more fearful than the other two.

“Kick!” she screamed. “Kick!”

So I tried kicking, and that gave me enough power for my legs to wrap themselves around the railings. And from that on, I persevered to push myself to the top of the railing.

Then came the worst part. I have to leap at least two metres to get to the ground. The problem was, I was sitting on top of a pointy fence. One mistake, and either my clothes get ripped, or I got hurt.

I positioned so I was sitting with my legs bent on top of the fence, the way one would sit on a chair. My hands held on to the fence. And before my brain said go, my legs already pushed themselves from the fence railings and kicked all the way down.

I landed on my bum, my legs bent and my hands now held on tightly to the speck of grass. It felt wet. Then, I checked my clothes. No signs of them ripped or torn. I checked my skin. No cuts or graze either.

Then, I realized that when I was flying off the fence, my hoodie flew too. Only in a different direction.

I tried searching for my hoodie, but it was nowhere to be seen. From the place where I was standing, the garden was dimmer, it was darker. It was quite dark that I can’t see anything that’s not illuminated by the city lights.

“Just give up the hoodie, Luhan,” said Yoona. “Jongin did say to wear something you won’t regret if you lose it.”

I sighed before turning to the fence, so as to help Seohyun. I suddenly realized one thing I lacked: height. Yoona, Seohyun and Jongin were lanky, so they have no trouble hopping over that fence. (I’m pretty sure the graze had something to do with her landing, not her climb). Meanwhile, I could be considered short for men’s height. I would the only person who actually has a hard time climbing the fence.

Seohyun did it perfectly. She didn’t rip anything, nor grazed her skin, nor lost a piece of clothing. I pulled her up when she reached the ground, and I’m pretty sure she muttered a, “Thanks”.

Before I could answer, though, Jongin’s voice boomed.

“Alright, team,” he said. “Today, I collect you guys at Jardin de Tuileries for our first ever mission to accomplish the ultimate goal: show our new friend Im Yoona that Paris is a beautiful midnight Wonderland.”

I wanted to protest and say that I’m also their so-calledi “new friend”. But then I would sound vain and selfish, so I kept that to myself.

“As you all may, or may not know, Jardin de Tuileries is one of the most known parks at Paris. I mean, look at this!” His arms gestured around the park. Though it was hard to see, if I squint my eyes, I could see silhouettes of the trees, the bushes of flowers, or the grass. From a distance, an owl hooted just so I could hear it. The smell of wet grass mixed with an aura of floral fragrances that surround the park makes me want to bottle the whole thing and turn it into a perfume.

Jardin de Tuileries was beautiful indeed.

“The one thing I love the most about gardens at Paris are the flowers,” sighed Seohyun. “The flowers are better than the ones the florist harvest. These—“ he pointed to a rose bush, “are wild roses, grown on a park at Paris.”

“But don’t those countryside farmers plant roses better than the ones they grew here?” asked Yoona. “I mean, it’s all natural there, no artifices—“

“Parisian park roses are a mix of technological care writh natural seeds,” snapped Seohyun out of the blue. “Those countryside farmers don’t use technology to ensure the roses grow all red and beautiful.”

I was shocked to see Seohyun talk like that to anyone. She was usually all happy and gushy. Why in the world would she do that?

“Um, so,” I drawled. “What are we going to do?”

“Here’s what we have to do, Deer Boy,” Jongin sounded like a professor, lecturing a group of students. No wonder: for five days a week, he had to listen to teachers constantly lecturing him.

“There’s a certain rule at the Paris law that prohibits vandalism. And now, we say ‘Screw it’. Today, we shall create a lavish bouquet…”

“…from the park’s flowers.” I had unwittingly continued his sentence.

“And no, we won’t do it carefully, the way thieves do. We’re gonna take so many flowers, that everyone would notice what we did.” Jongin actually grinned as he said this.

“We’re gonna be on the front page for this!” Seohyun’s voice shaked as she spoke, her body shivering in the summer night heat.

“No we won’t,” Yoona replied gleefully. “We won’t be on the front page, but our actions would.”

The only thing I stared at was my toes, covered with my sneakers. Trespassing and vandalism were minor crimes, but as far as I was concerned, I’m in foreign land. And minor crimes commited at foreign land turn into major crimes.

When I first heard of the idea, I knew there would be lots of rules I have to bend. But never in my life would I have thought we would break the rules and show people that we can get away with it.

Do I really want to follow the words of a college undergrad? was the only thing on my mind. Soon, that was replaced with, What made you so uptight, Luhan?

And that was the reason why I said, “Alright, let’s get this over with. Let’s show these people that the park looks prettier with fewer flowers.”

***

“Doesn’t this smell beautiful?” Yoona chirped happily as she showed me her bouquet of flowers. Red roses dominate most of it, but every once in a while, there were lilacs popping from the sea of red.

I grinned, my palms wrapping the stems of different flowers—lilies and roses—but with the same hue; white. The bouquet looked pure and demure, just like the person I was planning to give the bouquet to.

“It does, Yoona,” was the only reply I could muster up. At the same time, a corner of my eye caught Seohyun, chatting with Jongin, both of them holding identical bouquets: red and white roses. I never wanted to look at her, but I guess that’s the thing about crushes: you’ll always get drawn to them, whether you want it or not.

Yoona sighed softly. “She’s cute, isn’t she?”

“Huh?” I said, mildly distracted by Seohyun and Jongin, currently throwing roses at each other.

“I said, isn’t she cute?” she repeated. There wasn’t a slight hint of menace or jealousy in her voice, but her face showed displeasure.

“Um, yeah,” I said, gulping. “If you say so.”

She nodded, her eyes landing on the bouquet. “So, what do you think I should do with this bouquet?” she said, her voice no longer as cheery as before.

I smiled. “Put it in a vase,” I replied. Then, I glanced back at Seohyun, currently helping Jongin picking up the roses. “That’s what I’m gonna do with mine.”

“Um, in that case…” She immediately handed her bouquet of flowers to my hands. “I want you to have this. It’d be a perfect addition to yours.”

I tried to give it back to her, to refuse, but she was already walking up to Jongin and Seohyun, helping them pick up the flowers.

And then, after realizing I’m the only person who’s not helping them, I dropped the flowers and helped the three of them clean up.

After collecting the roses, Seohyun whined, “Oh God, do we have to clean it up again?” whilst pointing at the mess of flowers I left.

“No,” said Jongin, his arms around both Seohyun and Yoona. “I think we should leave it there. I think it’s prettier when it’s messy. Just like the roses I’m holding.”

And that was why for the second time, we had a rose-throwing party.

***

The way home was easier than the way to the park. The four of us were walking together, and during the flower hunt, Seohyun found a space between the railings that were big enough for us to slip between.

The only downside was Yoona’s leg wound. It was unstoppable—it kept bleeding continuously. Jongin had to run to the drugstore to get an icepack, bandages and iodine. We had to stop at a bench to heal her injury.

Finally, after covering up her wound, we walked back home. Jongin insisted on walking Yoona home, and Seohyun went back to her apartment, so that left me at the hotel lobby. The hotel concierge was there too.

“Did Monsieur have a good time?” she asked.

“I did,” I answered, smiling at her.

“I suppose so. Everyone who goes clubbing and have a rose bath with a girl always have a good time.”

I wanted to snap and say that I wasn’t clubbing, but she disappeared.

I sighed. The first night actually went well, though it didn’t go the way I expected. I was about to walk up when my phone vibrated. I looked up and saw a message from Jongin.

From: Kim Jongin

To: Me

Deer Boy, 2morrow’s a big day (or should I say night). Meet us @ Arc de Triomphe, 10 minutes b4 midnight. If u r not there, u r done 4.

Arc de Triomphe.

Only the victory symbol of France.

If someone ever found us breaking rules at Arc de Triomphe, I’m not the only one who’s done for.

Then again, temptation always brings me down.

That was why I replied:

I’ll b there.

***

A/N: Finally exams are over!

Since today marks the beginnings of holidays, I think I’m going to update a lot more. I’m really sorry if this chapter is pretty… how can you say it, messy? I’m not even sure if the story flow is good—I feel like hopping to and fro while writing this.

But hey, I’d love to listen to your guys’ comments about this! So, yeah, go on and type on the little box below, okay? Kamsa ^^