For all his outer beauty and keen eye for aesthetics, it wasn't a surprise that Jungwon was good at taking photos. The upside was that he was as willing to take photos of Sunoo as he was to take photos of himself, which was another reason on the long list of reasons why Jungwon was the perfect date for the cherry blossom festival.
"Jungwonie, look!"
Sunoo sat up straighter in his seat to look out the window of the high-speed rail as they zipped past the outer zone of the park. From afar the vibrant blush-pink blooms could already be spotted, low treetops adorned with a dusting of pink, like snow on a roof on a winter's day.
"Ah, it's pretty," Jungwon nudged Sunoo to move so he could share the window. He fished around in the pocket of his hoodie for his phone, snapping a picture of Sunoo; he knew the older boy loved candid photos just like this, but the delicate way the mid-morning light shone on his bright hair and bright eyes would be a waste to let go of in its own right.
He'd send this to Sunoo later, who would as usual be excited to have another good photo for his Instagram.
"Next station, Children's Grand Park."
"That's our stop," Jungwon reminded, checking their seats for any items they could have left behind before leaving. "Let's go!" It was early enough in the day that there were not yet huge crowds at the cherry blossom park, and the wide paths were empty enough for them to walk comfortably.
The silence between them was soothing; with both of them extroverted in their own way, moments of quiet like this were few and far between. On both sides of the wide brick-path, neat rows of cherry blossom trees just entering full bloom swayed gently in the wind, setting light petals adrift in the mid-spring breeze.
Sunoo slowed in his walk, Jungwon looking over, concerned as the older boy seemed to wince in discomfort.
"Can we rest for a while?"
"Hm? Sure, there's some benches over there along the road."
Sunoo sank down into the nearest wooden bench, pressing both his thumbs into his temples softly in a circular motion. Jungwon recognised it immediately, the method his mother had taught him from childhood to soothe headaches, which he'd taught to Sunoo years ago.
"Sunoo, are you okay? You're having a headache?"
Sunoo had, once upon a time, had poorer stamina than the younger boy, and needed time to catch up on physical activities. But as far as Jungwon knew, those problems were far behind him, and for the past few years his best friend had been no less healthy than he himself.
"They'll pass soon, Jungwonie, don't worry about me."
Jungwon sat down beside him, letting Sunoo lean into his shoulder as he rubbed comforting circles into his back. The older boy reached into his pocket and removed a bottle of something orange - Jungwon could hear the dull tinkling of pills, but he couldn't see clearly what Sunoo was holding from his position.
Prescription painkillers?
Since when was Sunoo on prescription for pain medicine again?
Jungwon mulled over this newest piece of information. Sunoo recuperated faster with each minute that passed afterwards, and by the fifth he looked as if he was ready to let them continue on their way. "See, I told you it would pass soon! Let's go now~"
"They didn't pass, you took painkillers," Jungwon pointed out. "You didn't tell me you were taking these. What's going on?"
"It isn't anything big," Sunoo answered quickly. "They're my mother's, from back when she had bad headaches. I carry them around with me in case things happen, or if my friends need them, that's all."
"Oh, since when did you become such a caring person?"
"What! I was always caring. Take that back right now, you punk."
Sunoo kept his hand in Jungwon's as they continued walking. The park really was beautiful at this time of the year, just at the cusp of the turn of season; the mild chill of the lingering winter left the air crisp and clear.
"The weather is beautiful today," Sunoo commented, pushing his hair back out of his eyes. "Not as beautiful as me."
Jungwon stopped in his tracks and made a face. "You are not wrong, but it is very disgusting to hear it."
"You are a terribly rude person. Say I'm beautiful now," Sunoo threatened in retaliation. "Say it now."
"I'm beautiful- ow!" Jungwon ducked away as the other boy smacked him with the floppy end of his hoodie. "I'm kidding! You're beautiful."
"See now you're only saying it because I asked you to."
"How else do you want me to say it, then?"
"With sincerity, you punk!"
Jungwon circled around to face Sunoo and took him by the shoulders. "You are beautiful," he said solemnly, no hint of laughter in his voice. Sunoo ducked away from the younger boy's gaze, covering his face to hide the blush that immediately burned across his cheeks.
"Ah...you're going to drive me crazy..."
"You are already crazy," Jungwon deadpanned mercilessly. "If you get any crazier it would be really scary to see."
"Can you just walk and be quiet!"
The aforementioned quiet, as expected, didn't last long. It never did, not when the two of them were together. One of them always had something stupid to say, the other always had a quick comeback, and the conversation never broke away for too long.
As it was, Sunoo broke into sudden song, swinging his hand and Jungwon's as he walked.
"Do you think you're a Disney character?" Jungwon laughed, but in a moment he joined in and sang along, keeping his hand in Sunoo's.
"Some things never change, like the feel of your hand in mine~"
"Some things stay the same, like how we get along just fine~"
"Like an old stone wall..."
"...that will never fall..."
"...some things are always true!"
"Some things never change..."
"Like how I'm holding on tight to you~"
"This is main character syndrome," Sunoo declared in a sudden fit of self-realization. "Too bad I am the main character. All of you are side characters." He addressed the last sentence to the pairs and threes of people walking along the path, to which Jungwon almost tried to smother him with the sleeve of his jacket.
"You're making a scene- "
They broke into a run, laughing and stumbling as they went, to escape the curious glances the other visitors were throwing in their direction, only stopping when they were far enough away that the people around them were entirely new faces.
Jungwon reached up to pick fallen petals off Sunoo's golden hair. "There's a little shop over there at the end of the street," he pointed towards a small cluster of streetside stalls at the cul-de-sac of the cherry blossom path. "They might be selling the sakura dango you were looking for."
"You are my favorite person in the world," Sunoo said resolutely, dragging Jungwon towards the stall. "I can't believe you remember my list. Let's go!"
They split the price of two sticks of dango drizzled with pink sakura-flower syrup in a little brown paper box, heading away to a wide area off to the side where the ground was carpeted with light gravel and dotted with large, flat rocks.
"Sunoo, you've got syrup all over your lips-" Jungwon took a tissue from his back pocket and caught the pink syrup before it could drip down the other boy's chin. "Are you five years old?"
"Are you looking to be beaten to death?" Sunoo fired back, laughing.
They spent the rest of the time taking candid shots of each other with their mouths full, laughing to death at the pictures and promptly managing to choke until they saw stars. The two boys laughing and choking in odd cacophony on the footpath attracted bewildered stares from passers-by, but with each other's company, neither of them really cared.
The train ride back was calmer than the ride there; Sunoo had exhausted most of his energy being hyper at the park and Jungwon willingly let the other boy rest on his shoulder. Sunoo's eyes were closed, his breathing even. He was nowhere close to asleep, but no one would know that but himself.
Sunoo listened in silence as Jungwon let out a soft sigh.
"You're making it harder and harder not to love you, Sunoo."
Each word pierced his heart, deadly as icicles, regret, apology, guilt, so much guilt.
His eyes stayed closed for the rest of the ride home.
─
"Bye Sunoo!" Jungwon gave the other boy a hug, as they usually did, before waving goodbye. They parted ways at their usual spot, in front of the old post office; Sunoo's house was to the left, Jungwon's straight ahead. Sunoo didn't move until Jungwon was halfway down the block.
"Jungwonie, you know you'll regret this, right?" The ghost of a smile decorated his face for just the briefest moment. "When the autumn comes, you'll see why." Sunoo looked back towards Jungwon's figure, watching the other boy turn the corner before he headed down the street towards his own home.
5. Go to the cherry blossom festival
6. Eat sakura dango!