Hangang In The Autumn | Taekook

9. Starry Blossoms

He met some of his old customers, talked to them wholeheartedly after what felt like decades, wrote lovely messages on the cards, bowed to people, sending his warm gratitude.

Hours passed and he couldn't help but think about how he'll have to go back to an empty house, without his brother's loud cheers and rambling about how awful his customers were.

It was his first time. Without Baekhyun and his warmth, the realization of an empty and cold house without his brother made Taehyung pause the message he was supposed to write on the last bouquet to the customer.

The florist looked at the client with an apologetic look in his eyes, his fingers fidgeted with the pen. He waited for the man to say the message again and hoped not to hear any cursing for his zoned-out mode. The man shook his head and thankfully replied softly.

"Umm... To my heartbeat... I miss you..."

It took Taehyung a moment to decide whether to walk home or take a bus. Since he closed the shop early, and the night was still young, a part of Taehyung wanted to walk under the starry sky, through the footpaths of the skyscrapers like he used to.

But the other part was scared, not in the mood to walk because the nights around Han River aren't the same anymore. The paths that lead him from his shop to home, the Hangang, the bridge, the empty roads, everything reminds him of the past now. A past that will never leave Taehyung to live on his own.

He didn't want to reminisce about those moments once again while walking through the footpaths of the Han River bridge. That's how Taehyung decided to take a bus to his home.

When he got on the bus, Taehyung realized the smooth ride to his destination was all that he wanted after a tiring day. With earbuds plugged in, snowdrops falling like feathers from heaven, and the city lights reflected on the window, Taehyung sat looking outside, his head resting on the glass window, hands hugging the bag in his lap.

It felt nice. Everything around him felt nice. He was never a fan of the night. But tonight, it felt good to look outside and admire the twilight, especially when his heart felt oddly calm and blissful.

He may be a little bit torn and weary, but the hope was still there. After all, that's what he was taught, from his very childhood. His brother has told him that wherever there is chaos, there will be peace too, where the top of one mountain is the start of another one.

He has to move on. Taehyung was so immersed in the music that he didn't realize that his home was one stop away. He stood up from the seat, took his bag, and waited for the bus to stop while scanning around.

Taehyung was ruffling his bag to find the keys when his eyes landed on something. It didn't take long enough for him to understand what it was. He could never mistake the lavender roses cherished on his farm, the note he wrote in his handwriting, or the bouquet he sold today.

It was back on his doorstep, not even withered nor did the colors of the petals fade away. It looked fresh just like it was from his garden, newly bloomed and hopeful. Even his neat handwriting was on it too.

"To my heartbeat... I miss you..."

Taehyung scanned the surroundings before taking the bouquet in his hands and reading the lines again and again.

His heart was already racing. The hangover of yesternight didn't even leave him wholly and here he was, the mystery keeping him spellbound and shaky on his knees. Taehyung pulled his hair in frustration, hands curled around the bouquet tightly as he opened the door and entered inside.