sanctuary | yang jungwon

4

It was almost spring.

Y/N could tell, looking at the flower buds in the tree that had yet to fully blossom. The petals were wrapped around each other snugly, forming a bulbous shape. The green of the leaves bled into a pink hue on the petals, as if the flower was desperately fighting its way to erupt into a beautiful blossom. The bite of the frost from winter had almost fully disappeared, leaving behind a cool chill that was becoming warmer and warmer every day.

Y/N noticed the warm breeze that swept through the trees, making them sway slightly. Yet, the growing leaves hung onto the string branches, giving the illusion that the trees were dancing. Y/N found herself smiling at the thought of dancing trees, thinking that it was ridiculous yet endearing. She wondered if trees could feel movement, or even pain when a part of them got damaged. Plants did have form of nerves, didn't they?

"Y/N?" A voice cut through her dazed state.

She looked back towards the boy sitting in front of her. "Shit," She cursed lightly, frustrated at herself for getting distracted once again.

"Sorry, Jungwon," she apologised with a grimace on her face. This was the third time she had been distracted from their group discussion. Actually, Y/N wasn't even sure if she could call it a discussion, it was more of Jungwon sharing his ideas and her replying with a hum or a nod. It wasn't that she didn't want to contribute, she just wasn't sure how to.

"Are you okay? Is something wrong?" Jungwon looked at her with concern. She thought that he would have been extremely annoyed by now, but her heart melted at the genuine worry lacing his features.

She gave him a small smile. "Yeah, I'm so sorry. I guess I'm just a little tired or something," she lied.

She actually wasn't tired, but she didn't have the heart to tell him that she wasn't interested in getting any work done. Y/N knew that she was a procrastinator, and so working hard on a task that wasn't due until the next semester was weird for her. But it was Jungwon's working style, which she figured she just had to adapt to.

"Alright then," Jungwon nodded his head. "Shall we continue?"

She hummed in response, turning her attention to the project task sheet that Jungwon had laid out in front of them. They were currently sitting cross-legged, positioned across from each other with their paper in between them. A few markers were scattered around the ground, blown away slightly by the light wind. They were in the school garden, sitting on the open area amidst the patches of greenery.

Mr Kim had let them use class time to work on their project in pairs, allowing them to work wherever within the school campus. Jungwon had suggested the garden, and Y/N felt obligated to agree. She didn't have any other place in mind anyways.

"You know what I just realised?" She grinned lightly. "I'm in a garden.. with a garden."

Jungwon furrowed his eyebrows, feeling as though there was a reference that he wasn't quite understanding. "Well, this is the school garden," he tried to reply, clearly not understanding her joke.

She laughed awkwardly, "It's a joke. Because.. Jungwon means garden?"

His eyes widened in realisation. "Ah, I get it." He looked back down at the paper separating the two.

What's with this atmosphere? Y/N thought to herself, glancing away from the boy. She had tried to break the ice between them, and yet a shiver went down her spine at how cold the atmosphere had become. A part of was disappointed at how they didn't exactly get along, but it was what she expected from the start. It felt as if he was from another world, another dimension.