Little Lisa and Jungkook
Lisa did not enjoy gardening. This was mainly due to a traumatizing incident in her childhood.
It was the first time she ever planted a flower.
Then, the Director of Academic Affairs had gifted Principal Manoban several rose seeds. It was said to be a newly cultivated variety of rose that was not expensive. However, it was quite rare and near impossible to purchase.
It just so happened that Principal Manoban was fretting over Lisa's boundless energy to cause trouble every day. He had planned to find more activities for Lisa to do, and thus entrusted the seeds to her. When going so, he did not neglect to describe how stunning the rose would look after perfume the air, and how it would be the talk of the town.
Lisa eyes rounded at his words. Mesmerized at his descriptions, she began to imagine a wondrous image in her head.
At once, she decided, I'm going to plant a flower!
She followed her father's instructions and planted the seed into a small flower pot. Then, she began to anticipate the day the seed would sprout.
The next day, Lisa brought the small flower pot to class and bragged to Jungkook in vivid detail.
Jungkook was against anything that Lisa liked. Thus, he was not at all interested in the pot of flower.
Furthermore, it was at most only a pot and could not even be considered a pot of flower.
Lisa's enthusiasm did not wane for several days. She even held up her hand and counted for Jungkook. "My father said that this seed could four days, so there are still...." Here, she faltered.
"There are still more days", Jungkook said stiffly.
"Oh, right, right, Jungkook, I'll pluck a flower for you after it blossoms".
Jungkook was caught off guard. "Why for me?"
"All the imperial consorts on television usually wear flowers on their head".
Jungkook, "...." It was his own fault for feeling touched too quickly.
Jungkook looked at Lisa's face that was full of anticipation. The rose did not sprout but the devilish seed in his heart did.
If....the pot of flower never did sprout, she would be quite upset, wouldn't she?
____
The next day, during PE lesson, Jungkook stayed back alone in the classroom with the excuse that his tummy hurt.
The empty flower pot sat on the desk. Jungkook locked the classroom door and shifted the pot cover. Carefully, he rummaged the soil and found the seed. Then, he took the seed out and wrapped it in paper before shifting everything back in place. He did his best to make the soil look exactly the same as before.
His heart pounded furiously the entire process, a nerve-racking exhilaration running through his body.
Lisa's face was covered in sweat after finishing PE lesson. She was licking an Ice Pop when she came back. Jungkook sprawled across his table, not quite daring to face her. He monitored her actions furtively through the slits of his eyes.
Lisa used one hand to hold ice pop and the other hand to nudge the flower pot closer to her front.
Jungkook's breath caught in his throat.
Lisa suddenly yelled his name, "Jeon Jungkook!"
"Ah...." Jungkook's heart seized as he answered her summon weakly.
Lisa beckoned him over. As she was still licking the ice pop, she let out an "Mm" but said nothing else.
She found out, she found out....Jungkook's face was tomato red. He stretched his hand into his pocket silently. When his fingers touched the paper bundle, he heard Lisa say, "Lend me your cup. I need to water it. Hey why are so slow".
Jungkook felt his heart fell back into place. He passed her the cup swiftly.
Holding the cup, Lisa ran out with noisy steps. She bounded back with the cut after a while, and with a new unwrapped ice pop in hands. She passed that ice pop to Jungkook. "Here, aren't you sick? You'll feel better after eating an Ice Pop".
Jungkook was unmoved. After all, the ice pop was bought using his allowance.
That moment, Teacher Bae walked in with her teaching materials. When she saw Lisa's gesture, she was both amused and exasperated. "Lisa! Jungkook's tummy is not feeling well and you still asked him to eat an ice pop! Class is starting, sit down properly".
After school, Lisa was still lamenting over how the ice pop had melted before someone could eat it. Jungkook was silent. He packed his bag and escaped hurriedly.
The next day was a weekend. Jungkook's parents brought him to the park, where he dropped the rose seed surreptitiously into the lake.
He gazed at the small ripples caused by the falling seed and recalled Lisa describing how gorgeous the roses would be when it blooms. He felt oddly melancholic.
When Mama Jeon saw her son looking at the water with a tense face, she was puzzled and rubbed his head. "What's wrong?"
Jungkook shook his head.
Afterwards, Jungkook held a mini ceremony by the lake that he named "the funeral of roses".
Papa and Mama Jeon glanced at each other sighed simultaneously, a child's train of thoughts can be such a mystery!
____
Lisa would count each day as it passes, waiting for the day that the rose would sprout. The nearer it got to the two weeks, the more excited she became.
Contrary to her, Jungkook became more and more solemn.
Finally, the countdown of 14 days was up.
However, the surface of the soil was peaceful and did not show any signs of life.
"It's okay". Lisa consoled herself, "Daddy said that it's normal for the duration to be off by a few days. I'll wait a bit longer".
She waited and waited.
On the 21st day, Lisa gazed blankly at the flower pot in silence, her big doe eyes glistening with unshed tears.
Jungkook saw this from the side and scrunched his eyebrows.
Who said that happiness was built on another person's misery?
Though it was clear that Lisa was more upset, he was not happy at all.
____
After school, Jungkook finished his homework. He then took a little stroll around his neighbourhood as he was bored. At a neighbour's house, he saw a grandpa fiddling in his small garden digging the soil and watering it like he was planting something.
Jungkook summoned up his courage and walked over. Through the fence, he asked, "Grandpa, do you have any rose seeds?"
"Roses? I don't. I'm planting vegetables!"
"Oh". Jungkook was slightly disappointed. He thought for a while and said, "Then can you give me some seeds?"
"Sure. What sort of seeds do you want?"
"Anything that can sprout will do". He lowered his requirements.
Feeling that it wasn't a big deal, the old man causally grabbed a few seeds and passed them to Jungkook. He saw that something weighed heavily on Jungkook's mind. Thus, he asked, "What do you want these for? Is it to give it to a classmate that you like?"
"I....am going to give it to an annoying bad egg".
"Oh, since this person is a bad egg, why do you still want to give her rose seeds?"
To this question, Jungkook did not reply.
____
It was yet another PE lesson and Jungkook used the same trick again. This time, he pretended that he had a headache. He skipped the lesson and buried the seed into the empty flower pot furtively.
As for why he had used the excuse of a headache....well, he hoped to be able to eat the ice pop this time round....
Alas, Lisa did not buy any ice pop. Lately, she was wrapped by a feeling of defeat and in a slump. Not even the power of snacks can save her.
When Lisa came back, she touched the empty flower pot and sighed like how her father does. "Sigh, let's just toss it". After saying this, she stood up with the flower pot in her arms.
Jungkook stopped her in a rush, "Wait".
"Huh?"
Jungkook pursed his lips. "You need to have faith".
His words gave Lisa hope and thus she put down the flower pot.
On the 26th day, the soil that had been asleep for almost a month suddenly revealed a thin crack in its middle. There the soil was slightly raised. A tiny, slender, pale green seedling with two yet to be unfurled leaves popped out from the soil.
"Ahhhh! It sprouted, It sprouted!" Lisa broke into a dance, feeling overwhelmed.
All the kids in the class came to look at the rose seedling, surrounding it as they chattered nosily. Jungkook was a little annoyed at them. He lowered his head and worked on the practice paper quietly. As he did so, he could not stop the corners of his lips from quirking.
Teacher Bae walked into the classroom and rapped on the blackboard. "Lisa! You again! Are you trying to be the Monkey King? With the ruckus you're leading your classmates in making, you're about to tears the roof down. It's time for lessons, hear me?"
Lisa exclaimed joyfully, "Teacher Bae, my rose sprouted!"
When she heard this, Teacher Bae smiled as well. Hoho, congratulations".
"Teacher Bae, when the rose blooms, I'll pluck one for you".
Teacher Bae could not help laughing. "Seriously, child, how many roses have you already promised to others? The number of roses is not enough even if you cut it bald. Quickly settle down for the lesson".
That day on, Lisa nurtured the seedling carefully. The seedling grew larger and larger, appearing more and more vibrant.
Two months later, the seedling presented a huge gift to Lisa.
It had grown into a large carrot.
Lisa: "...."
Teacher Bae: "...."
Principal Manoban: "...."
Her classmates: "...."
Jungkook: "...."
The autumn, Lisa's autumn essay was titled "Harvest Season". It began like this: In spring, I planted a roses seed. In autumn, I harvested a large carrot....
Teacher Bae was drinking water as she marked the essays. When she saw the beginning of Lisa's essay, her mouthful of water sprayed all over the exercise book.
That year's final examinations, Lisa's essay title was "My father is a big far liar". With the submission of this essay, the entire school know that Principal Manoban was an untrustworthy liar.
It was impossible for Principal Manoban to explain himself and his dignity was in shreds.
The reason why the rose became a carrot was ultimately a mystery that no one ever solved. In fact, it birthed several versions of a suspense story that became widespread in their school.
As for Lisa, henceforth she left the world of gardening, never to return.
Hope you everyone enjoy this story