Seven Swans | BTS |

~7~

After what had happened earlier, I made it a point to avoid any contact with anyone else. I didn't know how many were home, and I didn't want to find out. Apparently, even though the house was gigantic, I managed to run into two of them.

I figured I would have less of a chance to run into them in their spacious backyard, if you could even call it that. I remembered seeing a hedge maze and my curiosity was killing me to go check it out. Besides, now that I had decided to avoid exploring the inside until I knew they were asleep, my options were limited, and it's not like I could leave. I had to bide my time.

It wasn't too hot outside, and there was actually a nice breeze. I reached the edge of the maze, and I remembered there was a nice garden somewhere near the middle, and I wanted to see it up close. The deeper I walked, the ivory walls seemed to grow taller.

It must have been some optical illusion, either that, or I was finally starting to properly lose it. I ran into several dead ends, and I didn't mind at first, but when it had felt like I had returned to a similar spot, my patience was starting to wear thin.

I groaned in frustration, starting to feel the sun on my back. By some miracle after I turned the thousandth corner, I found a clearing, and it was to the garden I saw from my room.

It was so green, it was like I stepped into another world. There were colorful flowers, which I didn't normally enjoy, but somehow these were different. They were peaceful somehow. I also noticed a bonsai tree that was still growing.

I didn't have a chance to truly admire it though, because the greenhouse door opening with a squeak behind me made me jump. Expecting to see a total stranger, I was surprised to see Namjoon walking out, carrying two large plants in his hand.

He saw me and he stopped in his tracks. He looked much more casual than yesterday as well, trading a nice suit for a t-shirt and jeans. He must have been out here for a while, because his brow was sweaty, and his shirt was wet in some places. He didn't look particularly shocked to see me; he looked more curious than anything. "What are you doing out here?"

"You said I could explore, so I am. Is that a problem?" I asked, folding my arms. I noticed his jaw clenched a bit, but he continued to walk past me. "No. Just surprised you wound up here of all places is all." He sounded annoyed, and I didn't appreciate it.

"I just wanted to admire all of this," I gestured to the whole garden, "in peace, but as it turns out, it seems I can't escape from you assholes." I huffed. "How did you even know about this?" he asked, placing the two plants down.

I blinked. "How did I know about what?"

"This garden. You can't see it through the hedge walls."

"I saw it from my window. Didn't know you'd be here though." I saw him take the plant out of the pot delicately, like he was holding a baby, and place it in a hole in the ground. It hit me then.

"Wait...did you do all of this?" I asked, genuinely shocked. He didn't even look at me as he answered, "Would that be so surprising?" Yes, it would, considering most people who dabble in this line of work on the daily don't go home and tend to bonsai trees afterwards.

"You didn't seem like the greenthumb type." He smirked for a brief second, "Don't judge a book by it's cover, as they say." He finished planting and I just stood there, watching him. He didn't say anything else. I didn't know what to say.

Why does this feel so awkward? Why do I even care that it's awkward? When he finally looked at me, with a dirty, sweaty face and those eyes that I couldn't look away from, I felt glued in place. Just leave, just move, do something.