park

@jongin k。hachiman seeing his lips twitch into a grin relaxed the young florist. he could smile! she thought to herself as she listened to the other’s thoughts on music. it was interesting hearing an opinion come out of him aside from short answers. maybe he was kind of warming up to the lass. she nodded in agreement to his words but later was taken by surprise when hearing his question. this made her think. most of kiosks she wanted to visit required some activity of the body and she assumed he might’ve declined the offer since he had a stand to attend. not to mention, most likely those very energetic stands were still packed by people. cupping her chin in thought and gazing at the stars which danced in the moonlight, her eyes widened when she remembered something rather important to her.

“what time is it?” she inquired, glancing at her wrist watch. “because the fireworks are soon to happen.” she explained while squinting at her wrist watch. the girl didn’t own a phone or any of that sort since her parents thought phones and the internet corrupted oneself. giving up on the wrist watch, she resumed her talking toward the male. “or we could try to catch goldfish with those rice paper wands.” her smile softened. “i know you must be almost out of time from your break so maybe watching the fireworks is too much...”

her tone traveled, tightening her grip on the drawstring. her lips pursed a tad. she really wanted to watch the fireworks though. it was ideal for her to watch them with someone who wouldn’t ruin the moment unlike her friends that would prefer to argue while taking selfies all together while the fireworks bloomed through the background. she was certain jongin wouldn’t be that annoying. she could go alone but she didn’t trust the people of her town especially during these celebrations. giving the male puppy eyes, she utterred to him, “i mean, if it doesn’t bother your schedule i know a nice place where we can watch the fireworks and nobody will bother.” she hummed and gave him a confident nod; looking rather childish especially as her tone of voice went really soft. “will you decline this time again, jongin? it would reaaaally be a bummer.”

@jieqiong z。princess kaguya for a brief moment, the male shut his eyes and listened to the music. he noted a nice balance between classical and modern, feeling the strong vibes as soon as he hit the guitar's body with a firm beat that was hidden behind his expertise plucking. his hands slipped into the pockets of his pants until he was softly elbowed by the girl beside him. with an instant grin and a scrunch to his face, his expressions became honest just by the musician's influence. "it really is." he added, monotone as usual. "do you know him?" he questioned. as more people grouped beside them, thoroughly enjoying the music also, he felt a sense of fantasy. one day, people will look at him with dream-like eyes when he becomes successful. he was so close to achieve his goal but, at this very moment, he still felt the unbreakable bond with his affairs. it may have been a good deal at the time but it was nothing more than regret now.

he felt his heartstrings pulled, similarly to the guitar. he usually wasn't emotional but tonight had him almost breakdown to contemplate on his choices so far. yet, he restricted himself, because of the company he has the pleasure to have. he repeated her words over and over in his head. what did she mean? he timidly knocked his head. the thought of seeing her again had him hoping they would. which was a rarity considering how much he dislikes seeing people twice even his regular customers who stop by his shop every few days or so.

"i guess... music tells a story without any words. that's what i like about it." he commented full-heartedly. his hands slipped out of his pockets and dangled idly before he turned to face her, averting his gaze still. he doesn't know what he'll do if he stared into her eyes. regardless, he honestly inquired. "where would you like to go next?" his fingers naturally scratched the back of his head. normally, he'd be the one who leads but this was a different occasion - what did jieqiong like besides music?

@jongin k。hachiman She couldn’t help but look away to cringe at herself. As if going to get her order fixed wasn’t embarrassing enough. She knew how disappointing and annoying it was when people had a hard time pronouncing her name. Hence why she’s always preferred to be called Kyulkyung. And yet she shook her thoughts away. There was no way she would back down for making another mistake. It seemed weird though. Usually she didn’t get flustered when conversing with not-so-familiar acquaintances. Although Jongin gave off an aloof exterior, she was positive he had a soft spot. Therefore there was nothing for her to be flustered about. In the end, the both were human beings. So why did she felt somewhat timid by her actions before the male? His next words caught her off guard and if working hard at the meat stand—as well as the butcher shop—amazed her already, then him working behind the scenes of this festival enhanced her admiration toward the male.

She swore she could hear music resonate in the background as they walked and she thought of how cool he was. The feeling puzzled the young florist. It was when they stopped their tracks when she noticed the street performer and her smile widened as she recognized this street performer. Taking a glance at Jongin, she noted a weird aura. Not a bad weird. Kind of as if he was becoming soft, she thought. And gently elbowing the sun-kissed male, she softly smiled. “Amazing, right? I heard he’s been playing and perfectioning his skill since young.” She nodded, later adding, “I also heard he’s a very modest man.” Her gaze went back toward the performer. More people huddled around the great musician and her smile widened at this. Jieqiong was always happy for others’ success.

“Maybe one day I can play you the pipa.” She uttered and she didn’t know why she made such an offer. The two barely met so he might’ve thought she was being too much. But she glanced up at him, a sincere smile staining her lips, “I mean... I can see you appreciate music.” Her gaze shifted back to the performer, gripping hard upon the drawstring’s strap.

@jieqiong z。princess kaguya hearing her agree made him a bit relieved. he didn't expect her to spend more time with him. even if he messed up her order, she seemed to put that in the past. but, now that his schedule's been settled, he was extremely nervous despite his facial expressions still apathetic - and may even come across as bored. the fine line of his mouth, the way she was right below his nose, had his heart flutter just a bit - more than he'd normally realize. with a heavy breath exhaled from his lips, he looked around the aisles of games and souvenirs.

he sensed the cold wind bustling through, feeling the breeze more than near the kebab stand. it was refreshing to see all the owners trying their best to sell off their products or egging on passerbys to play their featured game. refreshing in a sense that he didn't have to work to get their attention and then sell his products. when he heard a foreign name, the corner of his mouth drooped into a frown. "it's jongin..." he informed before awkwardly coughing. he can't get around it, that hurt. while the awkward silence emerged, the female asked him another question - which was definitely better than her previous one if he had to add. "i don't participate in these types of... events. usually i'm the one who works behind the scenes." he simply replied.

the pair stopped in front of some street performers, one in particular was catching jongin's attention. they were playing an acoustic guitar and created a melody that had him speechless. his eyes warmed up at the sight of their fingers, nimbly strumming the strings. and their voice added to their impressive performance. he had a deep admiration for the arts, even more so than people expect from him. with the cold air and the small crowd, the young butcher felt like he was in his own world with jieqiong by his side with a symphony of acoustic guitars playing in the background. was he getting tired or was this something else?

@jongin k。hachiman Oh man, this guy was kind of intimidating. He didn’t flinch to smile not even once! Her ears began to heat up. She was fine with the offer being turned down; maybe it wasn’t his thing. Furthermore, the offer was rather childish so she couldn’t have expected an agreement. And yet this didn’t stop her from chuckling, her cheeks tinting with a bashful rosy hue. “Ah, I think walking around should be fine then! There’s plenty of fun stuff to see.” Turning toward the exit of the kiosk, she walked slowly to match with his pace.

The rustling of leaves, the howl of the autumn night breeze, both soothed the female from her embarrassment. That dingy light from the kiosk could no longer expose her nervous expressions. It was solely darkness with hints of orange embracing the pair. “So, um, Jonghyun is your name?” It took her since she sat there at the kiosk to remember the other’s name and she hoped she hadn’t butchered him by calling him the incorrect way. She turned to look at him as they walked. Her grip upon her drawstring tightened before asking, “Is this your first time ever checking out the festival? Or do you check it before the festival begins?”

Her gaze pierced upon him in anticipation to his answer before wandering toward the busy trail of entertainment—still listening the male. She assumed this aisle to be where artists presented and sold their work. There lied handmade jewelry, paintings, vases, clothing pieces as well as shoes. Street performers were allowed to present themselves as long as there were no accidents with the other villagers. Jieqiong thought that maybe this would lighten up the male’s mood.

@jieqiong z。princess kaguya no worries. how could he not? the girl of his dreams was sitting right there. all he could do was worry. he ate the last bits out of his meal and swallowed the last of his water from the bottle before crumbling it up and throwing it away from a distance. his eyes noticed the flash of her smile, which almost made him want to do it himself. but he didn't have the guts to. he rarely smiled, even in this occasion. his laughing, on the other hand, were brief and he'd cover himself up when he does it. it might've be him but the thought of enjoying himself scared him. he didn't want to enjoy his time still forced into the shackles of his father. but the more time he spent with jieqiong, the more he forgots.

face painting didn't seem like something he'd do. putting it on was the easiest step, keeping it on would be a whole different ballpark. although, he appreciated the offer, he didn't want to have his face designed for the entertainment of late-night kids who have nothing better to do but to escape to the festival. he pressed his lips together in an indecisive manner. he closed the container with the lid to busy himself while his brain could think up a response. "let's walk around and find something to do. i can't see much from the stand, y'know." he stated with a shrug of his shoulders. he couldn't bear to picture himself working on the stand with face paint dripping from his already visible sweat. plus, it may turn customers away than reel them in as the picture of having makeup on their kebabs would result them to.

jongin faced her head on, but his eyes avoided her gaze and were looking down on his fingers instead, entangled together with his thumb rubbing against each other in nervousness. "just this once... let's go before i change my mind." his tone rushed but natural. he knew what she was doing, trying to make him feel included and all, but he didn't understand why. they were practically strangers that hadn't have a normal conversation until today. was she warming up to him? if so, jongin would only feel content hearing her confirmation with her own pair of pretty cherry lips.

@jongin k。hachiman Surprise walked in when the male grumbled his perception toward his /loved ones/ and while Jie's friends would have now avoided the male in fear, she could only smile yet this time softly. For a long time she understood that people, including herself, had issues. She understood that timing didn't matter and pain could appear whenever it desired. But what would be her response? She didn't see herself pushing into his past. They just started to become familiar with one another therefore it would be rather rare. And yet if she offered her friendship then and there, he might think she was taking pity on him. Not only would that make her look bad but it would be downright offensive.

"No worries." She muttered as she stood; placing the napkins upon the seat before laying the kebabs there. She reached to the sky to stretch and her grin slowly widened, a tender look flickering her gaze(whenever an idea sparked her). To hell with it, she spoke in her mind. She wanted him to have a nice night after having worked hard. If he took her offer as an offense and turned it down, then the timing for the friendship to bloom was not the right one and thus in the mere future it would. Her small, delicate hands played with the strap of her drawstring. "I saw this face painting stand for pairs. I knew my friend would have found it childish so..." Her voice trailed, a soft chuckle blossoming from her cherry stained lips. "...Would you like to try it before your break ends? I promise I'll make you look friendly for your last set of customers."

If she could get him to enjoy some part of tonight's festival, she'd be happy. And who knows? Maybe this shared experience would be the boost for their friendship. Of course, if she was familiar with other shop owners around her age range then why couldn't she be like so with the butcher man? Lifting her hand toward the male, she joked. "Do you accept? Or will I have to search for a random stranger?"

@jieqiong z。princess kaguya he knew very well that it was unusual for the both of them to be talking to each other without the fake smiles and shy looks through the windows of their respected stores. of course it was. he'd have nothing more than to have jieqiong by his side. although this was a temporary thing, and the mere thought of it bombarded his dream-like eyes - glossy with his cheeks a hint of rose, nevertheless, he seized the opportunity. even the thought of getting to know her sent butterflies in his stomach - a shameful feeling he didn't think anybody would make him feel. what is it about jieqiong that made him so nervous? she was different, oh-so different, but he wanted her. her innocence or the way her hair smelt like morning dew that resembled her shop would probably be the most prominent factors.

snapped out of a daze, he took another bite of his food before focusing on her long awaited reply. "sounds about right." he aimlessly muttered in hopes to end things there. he didn't mind her friend, maybe just a smidge, but she shouldn't be the only topic when he knows their time together is limited. in the middle of consuming the rest of his dinner, he choked from her surprising remark. he cleared his throat, his tone now groggy. "she's not you." he spilled and instantly regretted just seconds before she added that it was all a joke. he coughed again, this time to hide the embarrassment that seem to seep through every time he babbled.

as he took a swig of his bottle for the third time, he listened attentively. his mood turned grey. the thought of 'loved ones' bought down his demeanor. while not meaning to, he growled as he spoke. "no. i'd rather bury myself in work than hang out with those sick bastards." his fingers scratched his bicep as his brows knit together as if he was in pain. "anyway... don't let me bring you down." he informed. he'd want her away from his past and leave her with a smile, though that's far reaching even for him. although he didn't want it to, this was all a hoax. a dream he's having. but when will he have the decency to wake up?

@jongin k。hachiman Enthralling was when the man uttered his statement. She hadn't imagined that the male could speak actual words besides charging prices or performing any kind of customer service. This was interesting and it began to relax her. Breathing out a sigh of relief, she obligued to his command rather than primarily studying the male's attitude. It wasn't something to think of. She was grateful he didn't come at her with a smart mouth. If so, the awkwardness scale could have risen.

Not following the man's movements she found rather difficult. And yet she tried. It was surprising hearing him which was the reason of her constant glimpses to his direction. Silence filled the air between the two. She had no idea what to speak with the male. Either she could ask him of his well-being, though might be tedious. Or she could bring up the news yet that wouldn't do much to converse with the male. Her thoughts came to an interruption and she almost gagged at the question. Was he one of those?

Maintaining herself from any prejudices, she cleared . "We decided to meet up at the concert once I came back." And to get some reaction out of him, in a sing song tone she played, "Why? Did you find her cute?" Chuckles soon emitted from the dork; later waving it off. "I'm just playing." In a really short time her comfort toward the butcher man grew more and more. Although his question threw her off, he didn't ooze that weird vibe she always sensed from the men her parents setted her up with. At least for now he was normal and she found that appealing. She gently swayed the kebabs before switching the subject, her tone more serious this time. "Are you having fun? I can't imagine having to work at the festival when I could be having fun with my loved ones."

@jieqiong z。princess kaguya to be interrupted, especially on his break, wasn't something he desired. so when he heard something pestering behind him, he turned around to glare before he registered who he was really facing. for a moment, he paused to listen carefully, even catching her nervous, slightly frightful, tone in her voice. he swallowed the clumped food against his cheek and responded with a slide to his neck. "clearly. there wasn't anyone to help me for god knows how long.. i'm beat." he complained as he rubbed at his neck to emphasize the sacrifices he put through while he worked.

he was surprised and confused as to why she wanted to talk to him outside the butcher shop. it was surreal, almost like a dream. to think she couldn't get anymore beautiful up close, it had him breathless. his eyes avoided her gaze to make sure he doesn't lose his cool. one of them was already nervous and it'll be awkward if both of them are, he thought.

so that's the reason? jongin let out a defeated chuckle. and here he thought she was actually interested in getting to know him. he pointed at the seat opposite from him as he catches his breath. "sit. i'll go back once i've finished." he let a final laugh before he grabbed his chopsticks and plopped a piece of chicken into his mouth. now that he had her... what now? he coughed while he grabbed the water bottle that was settled right beside the container and took a sip before swallowing. "so where's your friend?" he questioned as he tilted the plastic bottle more for a small chug.

@jongin k。hachiman Paying her food, she journeyed quickly in direction toward the concert. It was confirmed to her that she would never bring her friend to any place where a man was the main attraction. Her best friend was born a flirt and sometimes that was annoying to Jie. As they paced, Jieqiong tried listening to whatever her friend babbled on while squinting at her kebabs. Her lips pressed together when noting the grilled vegetables were missing.

A groan slipped past her soft ones and she placed a halt on her tracks. Why now? Confronting someone was not Jie's forté. If she confronted him, he might be annoyed. Yet if she didn't confront, her parents were capable of keeping tabs on her expenses. The female took a deep breath. This made her best friend's look transform into perplexion; halting her walk as well. And so they talked. Her friend understood Jie's intentions of not wanting to bother the male yet advised Jieqiong into getting what she paid for. The pair agreed into meeting later and parted to their own destinations.

♡ ♡ ♡

All this mental preparation only made Jieqiong nervous. Close to reaching the meat kiosk, she tried to shake off any unnecessary thoughts. Afterall, this person was no complete stranger and so she should approach him like a family member or some sort. The key was not to be rude when confronting. She convinced herself and arriving to the kiosk, she took a glimpse of what the young man was up to. His back faced her. It seemed like maybe he was busy? Her brows furrowed into confusion before shaking away her thoughts once more; a soft smile blooming.

"You've been working hard, haven't you?" Not so confident if those words had power to get the male's attention, her gaze flickered elsewhere sheepishly. "U-um... Sorry, but you forgot the veggies." Her smile widened bashfully as she waved the three kebabs. That's when she took notice of the 'On-Break' sign. Later catching on that the male was eating. —O, goody. He just began his break and here I am in the middle of his entertainment.—She thought to herself. Her smile this time became awkward, not having any idea what was her next move.

@jieqiong z。princess kaguya although summer was long over, he still felt extremely warm. it may have been the heat radiating from the grill or the amount of pressure taking over the kebab stand - all in all, it made him purely uncomfortable. of course, the first hours of working distracted him alongside the chatter from the random passerbys that would help blur his distress. his rough hands shimmied the meats using a tong, seconds after he'd assemble them on a skewer to absolute perfection, just to be sent it off to another customer. he became quite the expert now that he had more than a few hours working on the stand.

jongin wiped his sweat with his forearm quickly before continuing on another order. he answered the customer with a nod before going back to the grill. despite the cold autumn air, it dawned on him how much he needed a break from the heat. there was a crick in his neck, his feet were getting unbearable, and his eyes were getting much more foggier because of the steam. not to mention the sweat basically pouring down and condensing over his skin. yet, he kept on going. although, not for much longer.

after fondling with the meat for a few minutes, he grabbed three skewers in preparation. he stabbed the meat through impressively fast while he slipped a few napkins as soon as the third was finished. he scrunched his eyebrows together momentarily, knowing very well that he was forgetting one minor detail. but he didn't really bother being his last customer before his break. shortening his thoughts, he presented the sticks in front of the young lady. "that'll be 5420 won." he informed. when he looked up, to his surprise, she was someone he recognized. he expected her to come despite knowing so little about her. all he needed to know was that she was social, someone who always had a friend by her side. which was coincidentally the person who was staring at him for reasons unknown to him. she's clearly someone who wouldn't want to be associated with him, in which he couldn't blame her.

once he took the currency, he forced the locked box open and stuffed it inside effortlessly. "enjoy your night." his tone monotone as he wiped away the sweat on his forehead with a towel that lazily draped over his shoulder. even though he felt quite bad for messing up her order, his guilt would be swept away as soon as he cleared the stand just a tiny bit and put up a 'on-break' sign before he took said break.

only feets away from the stand, solely to keep an eye on it, he dropped his aching body on a bench with a container filled with even more meat, vegetables, and a side of rice. with wooden chopsticks, accommodated from a neighboring food stand, he threw the lid to the side and dug in. well, until he was shortly interrupted that is.

@jongin k。hachiman Once paying their entrance, Jieqiong and her girls traveled from kiosk to kiosk. The sweet and savory scents lingered in the air. The children's laughter sprouted here and there as silhouettes swayed to traditional dances. Cats hovered through the shadows and pigeons were heading toward their homes as the sun setted. And there... There, they played games such as popping pumpkin balloons with no darts, apple bobbing, ring toss, and more. Jieqiong was a failure to all these games and yet she thoroughly enjoyed how the night was turning out. For her it felt as if this was the one time of the year where everybody was in synch to one another. No fights. Nothing negative.

After all the fun and games, the festival's concert began and people started to huddle. Not wanting to ruin her mother's grey, sheer dress, she suggested her friends to stay at the far end of the crowd. Of course, she might've glossed over her excuse; not mentioning her worry of the dress yet mentioning how close of a distance was to the food kiosks.

"Oh my gosh! Did you see him?" Her best friend blurted out in enthusiasm while Jieqiong's features transfigured into confusion.

"What are you talking about?" She followed her friend's glance, brows furrowing once again. "Who?" Her dainty hands fidgeted with the lid of her water bottle.

"Keith! He was so checking you out!" Her friend shook her lightly before whispering. "I heard he broke up with his girlfriend so he could get with you."

Jieqiong had to feign amusement toward her friend's words, quickly changing the subject. Jieqiong was harmless but she couldn't be taken as an idiot. Keith was an immature prick. "I'm hungry."

Her friend pursed her lips and crossed her arms across her chest in reaction to the latter's words. "Man, you keep avoiding boys. Are you planning to stay single for life?"

"You said it, /boys/." Jieqiong emphasized, her smile softening. "Anyways, I said I'm hungryyyyyyyyy." This time, it was her turn to lightly shake her friend.

"Well, I'm not so I don't know why you keep repeating yourself."

Jieqiong crossed her arms and gave her friend a pout; mimicking her best friend in the whole wide world. "Walk with me to the meat stand. I want shish kabobs!"

"The meat stand?! Hell, that's far away!" Her friend groaned this time. "Can't we go to a closer food stand?"

"But the food there is good. Trust me, I know the person who works there!" Jieqiong kept trying to convince the other. "They might have ground beef! I'm certain that's your favorite, right?"

♡ ♡ ♡

In the end, her friend sighed and resigned from the tough girl role; leaving the other girls behind. Upon arrival, Jieqiong noticed there were many people in line. The sight made her soft ones widen in happiness to her fellow shop neighbor's success. She was not friends with the male. In fact, she barely knew him. But there was something about him whenever they caught glimpses of each other during work hours. The female thought of him to be hard working and humble in some manner. She admired that a lot from him and she worked hard to reach that level in which he was.

"Three shish kabobs with grilled veggies, please!" Gesturing with three digits, she kindly asked the sun-kissed male. It was the same as always. If they didn't interact from afar, they would interact whenever Jie needed to buy something from his shop. She felt as if they were friends although there was no talking involved. "And a..." She took a glance of her friend who seemed rather busy checking out the male. Bashfully and trying to ignore her friend's weirdness, she waved her hands in a matter of denial. "N-Nevermind. That's all." And with that, Jie elbowed her friend hard to snap her out of her ed thoughts.

end.

@jongin k。hachiman "Mooom, Daaad..." Her whine got interrupted by another flashing light which led her to squint. "You guys do this every year. It's just the fall festival. Not prom." Although speaking a tad in annoyance, her smile did not waver. They were her parents afterall, and she was their miracle child.

"Oh, honey, but you look so beautiful wearing my dress! Taking pictures are a must!" Her mother overpraised and reached out to squish her baby girl's cheeks while her father continued snapping photos now of the two. Jieqiong being the softy she is, she let her mom do whatever with her cheeks.

"Alright, you two, now smile!" In enthusiasm, her father spoke.

♡ ♡ ♡

The young miss bid farewell to her parents as she headed to the festival with a few of her best friends who had been waiting in front of the flower shop for quite a while already. It hadn't been long with her best friends and the female was already laughing to her heart's content. Tonight was the fall festival. An event where she'd have the perfect excuse to have a social life without her parents intervening. And even so, her parents had a hard time letting her go off for a night at the plaza. Their overprotectiveness toward Jieqiong was not because they didn't trust her. Heck, they knew Jieqiong was rather too soft she wouldn't even dare to kill a fly. Yet still her parents felt the need to be protective because the fear of losing another child still haunted the pair. True, it hadn't been Jieqiong's first time going alone to the fall festival but "times keep growing worst," as they both would argue. And thus, being cautious was a must for their child's safety. Jieqiong reckoned this, therefore, arguing wasn't an option. Being the perfect daughter was one goal she had setted to herself.

Going to the fall festival was everything to Jieqiong, nonetheless. It was a night where people dressed as best as they could relating to the season of autumn and its history. During the festival, people—the older generation mostly—wholeheartedly expressed their appreciation toward three things: harvest, the good old legends from past ancestors, and dragonwell. On the other hand, for the young generation such as Jieqiong and her friends, the fall festival was simple. Just for fun. They didn't put much thought to the philosophical aspect of the celebration.

♡ ♡ ♡

part o1.