April 14^th

The endless stretch of white, a stale stench of steriliser, an air full of silent sobbing; I felt my heart shatter as soon as I entered the hospital. Arms wrapped consciously around my torso, I strode down the hallway and struggled to contain my tears as I passed both distressed visitors and patients. It was hard not to stare sympathetically at those who cried out, hard not to run to them and lend them my comfort. If it weren’t for Chanyeol, I would have broken.

Somehow, he knew that it was me and tugged me into his embrace. I clutched at his shirt and pressed my nose into the side of his neck, inhaling that vanilla scent and noting how it was mixed with the saltiness of tears. His face was damp as he nuzzled into my hair and his body shaking from exhaustion as I extended my arms and tangled them around him.

I didn’t have to ask to know that his brother had not survived. The way Chanyeol’s composure spontaneously crumbled was enough evidence. His breathing became jaggedly raspy and strained as he started to wail. At first, he attempted to stifle the erupting cries by nestling his face further into my hair, but he could not contain them for long. The sounds were horrific, distressed beyond belief. His body heaved as he tried to regain his breath and his beautiful face contorted, tears streaming boundlessly down his reddened cheeks like a waterfall.  I lovingly cupped his face between my hands and leant up, tenderly kissing each tear as it seeped out. Embarrassed, he swiped at his eyes and forced a shaky laugh, before dropping his head.

That night, I held Chanyeol tightly in my arms. When he startled awake, jittery after a vivid nightmare, I his hair until he fell into a slumber once more. When a silent tear dribbled down his cheek, I dabbed at it softly and dried his skin once more. When he cried and mumbled incoherently, his fingers anxiously holding the sheets, I traced circles on his back until his tense body relaxed once more. When he kissed me affectionately, needing a distraction, I let him make love to me for the first time.

April 19^th

After engraving his brother’s initials into a cherry blossom tree, Chanyeol fell backwards into the abundance of blossoming flowers, beside a marble angel statue with its wings outstretched and head titled wondrously toward the clear sky. He inhaled deeply and let his hands flop to the sides. With a playful smirk, he began to kick his arms and legs, creating an hourglass shape against the gorgeous violet petals. Soon, his clothes were completely painted in red mud, wet grass and vibrant nectar. He rolled, accidentally ensuring that his front was equally as dirtied as his back.

When he spun to lie on his back again, I knelt down and straddled his hips. A smile played at the edge of his mouth as he sat up to mould his lips against mine eagerly. His tongue parted my lips and I moaned against his mouth, savouring the fresh taste he offered. I felt my skin grow hot as his hands s up my back, one under my shirt whilst the other teasingly fiddled with my bra clasp from the outside. Wanting to torment him in return, I tightened my thighs around his waist and rocked against him roughly. He groaned and following an excited chuckle, nibbled on my lower lip, tugging it outward softly.

Moments later, he hovered over me. With ily pursed lips, he leant in and lined my body with tender kisses. The best feeling was his lips against my neck, marking my skin fervently. Following closely behind, was the sensation of his fingers against my skin, tickling me, massaging me. Very quickly, our bodies melted into one and we lost ourselves amongst the flowerbeds, surrounded by the sweetest of scents.  

April 20^th

I brushed the curtains aside, peering through the tinted window. ‘They look so awkward. He’s staring at his feet and she’s fiddling with her hair.’

‘If he’s acting shy, it means he likes her’, Chanyeol replied, plucking at his guitar strings as he attempted to memorise a new tune.

Jongdae stepped forward suddenly and I jumped up to excitedly clap my hands together. As he leant in at an agonisingly slow pace, I squealed and shoved my face up against the glass, squishing my nose unattractively. Chanyeol laughed at the sound of the impact and threw a crumpled piece of paper at me, before returning to his music. I gulped as Jongdae’s face fell within inches of Jimin’s and grinned with anticipation.

When he simply hugged Jimin and bowed politely, before walking off into the distance, I slumped in disappointment. ‘He should have kissed her. She’s totally going to move on to Baekhyun now.’

‘It sounds like your friend is going to break a few hearts’, Chanyeol mused, wrapping his knuckles against the guitar’s mahogany body, ‘I can’t wait.’

The door slammed, alerting us to Jimin’s arrival. Apparently infuriated, she stomped into the room and came to stand, feet planted, in front of me. I gazed up at her and immediately felt scared. I could almost see the agitated steam pouring out of her ears.

She fell to her bottom, crossing two short legs. ‘Jongdae lost his chance.’

‘I think you need to give him more time.’

‘No, I don’t have time for losers.’

‘He’s less of a loser than Baekhyun. You should give him a chance’, Chanyeol explained, choking on a giggle.

I nodded. ‘Plus, you wouldn’t get this mad if you didn’t like him.’

Jimin snarled, baring her teeth, but fell rigid as her phone lit up beside her. Jongdae’s name flashed across the screen, accompanied by a text bashfully asking her if they could meet again. After a few seconds of forced hesitation, Jimin broke into a cheeky grin and fled to her bedroom, where she texted Jongdae for three hours.

Chanyeol sighed. ‘If our relationship is a smooth flowing river, theirs will be a damn tsunami.’