April 3^rd 2016

‘Do you think he’ll like this?’

‘He’s your boyfriend, not mine. You tell me.’

‘God, you’re no help. Why’d I even ask you to tag along?’

‘You love me, that’s why.’

I sighed and dramatically rolled my eyes, carefully placing the shining guitar back into its spot. It was undoubtedly pretty, but it was far too much and one would likely be afraid to touch it with the concern of scratching its glistening paint job. If I downgraded from an instrument so fancy, the other options were quite plain and seemingly held little value. I groaned and continued pacing through the store, Jimin following my trail distractedly as she wrapped a strand of gum around her finger. Truly, she was entirely useless.

My fingers traced the outline of multiple instruments and extravagant sets, but nothing caught my attention, nothing jumped out or appeared any more special to the thing next to it. I wished I had taken more interest in music when I was younger just so I knew what all the terms popping out at me meant. Unfortunately, the only instrument I could even think of playing was the triangle and no single piece of equipment in the store made any sense in my mind. Jimin, if at all possible, was even further uneducated on the matter and stared at half of the available items with drooping agape.

We circled around countless times and I eventually had to be yanked out of the store, because Jimin had grown impatient and I was gradually descending into a state of insanity. As we strolled through the street, I peered through the front windows of every single store we passed, but still, I couldn’t locate anything even relatively unique. It was difficult to buy an item that defined how much you loved someone. I was determined to keep trying though.

After a couple of hours had flown by, we very dejectedly sauntered into a café and lazily plonked down. My brain was too preoccupied with jumbled thoughts of frustration, but Jimin managed to force feed me half of my sandwich and convince me to sluggishly slurp at my steaming coffee. The heat seeping down my throat reenergised me in the slightest and I exited the café with an attitude even more resolute than it was earlier.

‘Why didn’t you try finding something earlier?’ Jimin questioned, bending to examine a fluffy teddy bear.

I exhaled slowly. ‘Trust me when I say that I’ve been trying for quite some time now.’

‘It can’t be that hard’, she muttered, before turning to me with a serious expression, ‘what if he doesn’t get you anything and this has all been for nothing?’

‘I still want to get him something. I’m not too great with words, so he deserves this much effort at least.’

‘Get him a book of poetry that describes how you feel about him.’

Frowning, I playfully clapped her on the shoulder. ‘This is why you and Jongdae aren’t doing too well.’

Before she could argue with me, I jolted off down the street, new boots stomping heavily against the rutted path. I could hear her shouting out behind me as she attempted to lessen the proximity between us, likely wanting to slap me in retaliation, so I quickened my pace and rounded a corner. Though I almost skidded and toppled onto my side, I managed to catch a glimpse of something somewhat interesting. Subtly puffing, I slowed once more and walked over to the store. Its sign was in another language, but still looked beautiful because it flashed in various vibrant colours that seemed to glisten more each time the sunlight struck a certain spot. The windows were painted in streamers and dangling gems, so the interior was wholly blocked from sight. Out the front, was a hunched woman drawn into the book she held, her eyes widened as the excitement of the plot made her heart beat faster.

I allowed Jimin a chance to catch up and then even let her smack my arm, before dragging her inside the store despite her shrill protests that everything about it seemed dodgy. It was relatively tiny and the shelves were incredibly disorganised, but I admittedly enjoyed winding through the maze-like structure. Cats scuttled here and there, some hiding amongst the antique goods and others so friendly that they wiggled between my legs every so often. Additionally, there was a distinct scent, a mixture of something sweet and something a little musky. Inhaling it, I could have sworn I found inner peace.

My nose was attracted directly towards a delicate box, its exterior engraved with a song lyric and dots of miniscule, dazzling gems. I crept over and popped it open, intrigued to know what it held. In the centre were drumsticks, and though they were immediately attractive in appearance, it was their aroma that made me love them. It was a familiar smell, reminiscent of the cherry blossoms that I had visited with someone special exactly a year ago. When I plucked the drumsticks out, they still possessed the sweet aroma and I hurriedly decided that they were exactly what I had been looking for. Though it couldn’t be seen by the person I wanted to give them to, I later had a name carved into the sides.

Arriving back home, I wrapped the gift (terribly) and then proceeded to get ready for my dinner date. I pulled my hair into a cute, messy bun and tidied my makeup, just applying quite a natural layer so that my pale cheeks had a slight blush to them. With gentle pressure, I glossed my lips in a faintly lovely pink and changed my earrings to match the colour. It was a little chilly outside, the breeze significantly nippy, so I dressed in an oversized sweater that may or may not have even been mine. There was a possibility I had snatched it from someone’s closet when they were in a deep slumber, because it reminded me of them and rubbing it between my fingers was embarrassingly soothing. Wearing it, I felt as though I was enveloped in the embrace of the man I loved.

‘Min, he’s here! Hurry up!’ Jimin bellowed from the living room, where she was probably lazing around.

I zoomed out my room and pecked her speedily on the cheek, before running for the door and yanking it open. Baekhyun smiled up at me from the step, his eyes shining in delight and crinkling into small crescents. He was dressed in a black suit, white suit shirt and lopsided bowtie, his hair neatly combed away from his forehead. Greeting me politely, he offered his arm and I appreciatively took it, letting him lead me towards the car. Like a gentleman, he opened and closed the door for me and ensured that the music playing was to my taste. I had to laugh at how much he was fussing.

The drive was over quite swiftly, the landscape whirring past in a blur. He pulled into an empty carpark and leapt from the car, jogging to my side to let me out of the car with a shining grin. Once I had stepped out, I wrapped my arms around his neck and thanked him, before leaving him behind me and pacing towards the raised canopy in the middle of the field. It had been decorated with gorgeous white LED lights, which clinked together softly in the breeze and illuminated my path. Cherry blossom petals were scattered everywhere, and occasionally the clusters had been positioned in a purposeful heart shape. I grinned as I moved forward, the figure under the canopy gradually materialising before my eyes.

[Chanyeol P.O.V]
A little earlier...

‘Is it pretty?’

‘It’s not bad. There’s better.’

‘Point me in that direction.’

‘Take two steps to the right and then outstretch your hands.’

Obeying, I sidestepped and reach out for whatever might’ve been in front of me. My fingers struck something cold and bulbous, tracing the thin band and then outlining the protruding crystal. I could detect that there were multiple smaller gems lining the band, and it seemed to twist, knotting together intricately at the top. When I picked it up, it felt soothing against my palm and though undoubtedly fancy, it was light and delicate. Immediately, I knew that this was the right one.

‘Can one of you tell me how much this is?’ I asked softly, twirling the band between my fingertips.

Jongdae cleared his throat nervously. ‘I’m not sure if you really want to know.’

‘It may or may not have eight digits’, Baekhyun added, his tone cracking as he addressed me, ‘maybe you should go for something simpler. The little things are what matter, right?’

I yanked out my wallet, ignoring their comments as I awkwardly dawdled to where I remembered the counter to be. The employee commented on my good taste and safely secured the band inside a supposedly pretty box. When she accepted my credit card, my ears detecting the sound of her swiping it, my stomach completed a few flips at the expense and the excitement. Even though my bank account was likely destroyed, I smiled genuinely as the other two led me out of the store and back onto the street. 

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{In my country, this equates to $33'500. In this story, converting it to won...it's ₩28512177.51 lol}

Anyways, this fic is reaching its conclusion. I'm not sure how many chapters there are left, but it likely won't be a massive amount.
Thanks to those who have read this far. I hope I can end this fic and please you all!
Much love <3