1 7
WINTER & SOLACE
❝I wonder of the potential you could reach, sweetheart, if you were free as that bird.❞
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WHEN I WAS six, Ben and I had a quarrel. When I think of it now, it was petty and made absolutely no sense, but then? Then, it made a huge issue.
Our mother left us after dropping us at the neighborhood park to play, with a gentle reminder that we were allowed an hour and only an hour before she came to pick us up. Ben and I were absolutely adamant and wouldn't do our homework till our mother took us to the park.
I had climbed up the slide after waiting long for my turn. With an ecstacy unimaginable, I slid down with my hands up in the air. Ben was waiting for me at the end of the slide with his hands folded.
At ten years of age - four years older to me - Ben had stood a good four inches taller than I. I wasn't ever quite blessed with the genes to grow that tall. Standing confidently and might at the end of the slide, he smiled.
"What do you want?" I asked quite rudely as I got up from the slide and patted the dust on my skirt away, ensuring that the pleats were proper and crisp.
"Hear my theory out, Liv," Ben whined and I sighed. At times, I had always felt as if I was the older sibling and not him. I stood in the queue once again to play on the slide again. Ben stood next to me and begged for me to listen.
The park was filled with kids. It always was. There was always a long queue waiting to use the slide, or a fight near the see-saw. The parents merely watched till they realised the brawl was serious. And then, they came rushing in, pulling their child apart, only to protect them from the said child that possessed demons to hurt their angelic child.
To Ben and I, the park was the one place that we could relax and where mother wouldn't pressure us into completing our ever so incomplete homeworks.
"Go ahead," I told Ben. I moved a step forward as the girl in the supreme front got a chance to use the slide.
"I think that only few people are lucky enough to get a happily ever after," Ben proclaimed and I turned to look at him quickly. My eyes widened and my heart ached. Ben generally did have crazy ideas but his ideas sounded practical to the six year old me.
"Stop lying, Ben," I called out to him. I shook my head and continued, "Mother told me that we all get our happily ever afters."
Ben genuinely laughed. He stared at me, disappointed, till I got onto the slide for my turn. Back then, the park was one place where I let go of every thing. And as I slid down, my heart leapt. Ben ran to the end of the slide for me, as he waited.
"Mother's probably lying to us, Liv. My friends told me that they see at their homes and since they see that happy endings don't exist, it must be true. Also, they told me that they have proofs to show that it's true," Ben explained elaborately, as I stood up once again.
Ben shattered my hopes that day. I ended up running back home, crying to my mother over how Cinderella must have been sad in the end because Ben told me that happy endings were a lie.
Mother did end up scolding Ben and send him up to his room as she consoled me. She even bought me ice cream. Ben and I ended up forgetting this and quarrelling over some other insignificant matter soon.
However, come to think of it now, Ben was right.
It was probably eight. At least the days of the sun seem to pour into the room as if it were eight. I fidgeted in the bed, slightly turning to the right.
It was then, that it hit me. I wasn't back at home. I was in Taehyung's bed in Taehyung's bedroom in Taehyung's hotel room. If that was not messed up, I do not know what is.
I panicked. Julia must have messaged me or called me so many times. She could have called the police for the entire world to care.
I sat up on the bed and looked straight at the wall. Of all the things I could have possibly done, I had to end up here. Not that it was a bad thing, but only because it was going to complicate everything a lot more than required.
I couldn't afford to have strings attached when I'm so puzzled.
I got up and walked outside. I was still in my yesternight's clothes and I was glad weirdly. I walked into the washroom before walking out of the room, to freshen up and look partially presentable.
I walked back into the room and searched for my bag. It turned out that someone had properly kept my bag on the table near to the bed. I searched for my phone and turns out that I was right.
I had nearly ten missed calls from Julia, two from Chen and one from Xavier.
I looked into the messages first and my breath hitched. It felt like it was the Xavier that I knew back again.
Julia called me and asked if I did something to you. I'm sorry for everything. Tell me if you're alright. Please.
I smiled slightly and texted him back quickly.
I'm alright. No worries, alright?
I messaged Julia and Chen immediately after that. Julia replied instantly and typed in uppercase to signal how mad she was at me. I closed my phone after telling her that I'd explain everything as soon as I reach back home.
I walked out of Taehyung's room only to walk into the hall and the kitchenette therefore. Jimin was up early and he was cooking and whatever he was cooking smelled nice. Taehyung was sleeping on the couch and I wondered if he was uncomfortable.
"Oh, I didn't see you there," Jimin muttered as he turned to grab another plate.
I walked closer and stood next to him. I laughed and replied, "Ah, I was totally going for that concept. The invisibility one."
Jimin laughed sincerely and then offering me the spatula, he asked, "Do you want to help?"
Jimin was making Baked Cheddar and Potatoes for breakfast and he had already finished chopping the potatoes. I nodded and took hold of the spatula. I moved closer to the stove. Jimin instructed, "Liv, cook and stir the potatoes till they almost turn golden brown, okay?"
I nodded and proceeded to do the same. Jimin went ahead and continued to finely chop the parsleys and every other herb he wanted in his cooking.
"Taehyung's still asleep, eh?" I chuckled and slightly turned to look at him. Taehyung moved in the couch to make himself comfortable. I smiled as I looked at him. Taehyung looked angelic.
Jimin walked closer towards me and added everything into the skillet I was stirring in. He smiled and replied, "He kind of slept late."
"He did?"
"Yeah. He stayed with you till he was certain you were asleep and comfortable there, in his room," Jimin informed. He took the spatula from my hands and began stirring the skillet. I moved aside and watched him.
Hearing what Jimin said of what Taehyung did for me, made my heart swell. Taehyung stayed up till I was fine and away in my Dreamland. He sat next to me and stayed as he promised and it made flowers blossom in corners of darkness that I thought were long closed.
"He did that?"
"Yeah," Jimin nodded and took the skillet away from the pan, only to break two eggs into it. I turned back and looked at Taehyung.
He slept like a baby. The poor man must have stayed awake, watching me fall asleep and left only till he realised I was safe in my sleep at the least.
"He is adorably stupid, isn't he?" Jimin laughed as he took the skillet and put it into the oven.
"Is the oven preheated?" I asked before anything. Jimin stopped in his tracks and looked at me for a minute or two. He cracked a smile soon enough, "It is. Don't worry."
"Also, yeah, Taehyung's adorable. It's cute," I suspired. I watched Taehyung intently and Jimin folded his hands and stood next to me.
"You should probably go and wake him up. The breakfast will be up in another ten minutes or so," Jimin informed as he pushed me forward. I groaned and glared at Jimin. He merely smiled at me which was soon followed by a wink.
I walked closer to the sofa and leaned forward. Taehyung who had seemed to have been wrapped in a profound sleep, wasn't so anymore. Here, he was laying on a sofa prepared to be swept away by the hope that his sleep would be filled by light.
I slowly nudged him as I leaned closer. Jimin laughed as he stood behind me, "He won't wake up with just a nudge, Liv."
"Taehyung-ah," I nudged him a little harder than earlier. "Wake up, please."
He stirred a lot more and with constant whining and calling out to him, Taehyung woke up immediately. He stretched his hands in reflex and my eyes widened. I, who was then leaning forward on Taehyung, quickly took a step back as my face turned crimson red.
Jimin laughed and shouted, "Wake up, dork. Your lady love has been waiting for a while." My cheeks turned brighter if that was even possible and Taehyung pursed his lips and glared at Jimin.
Jimin scoffed. The oven pinged and alerted us that our breakfast was ready. Jimin managed to put in the cheese midway when I was occupied by the job of waking Taehyung up. Jimin made a small yay, vocally and rushed to the oven to take the skillet out.
Goodness Gracious, it smelled heavenly. Baked Cheddar and Potatoes made solely by Jimin smelled gorgeous and I could only wonder how good it must probably taste.
"Go and freshen up quick, Tae," Jimin commanded and my eyes widened. Is this the same Jimin Taehyung had said wasn't much responsible? Well, just maybe, he needed circumstances to make him responsible.
Taehyung dragged his feet as he stood up from the sofa. He walked slowly towards his room only to freshen up for the day. Jimin smiled at me and I looked at him confused. I couldn't prevent myself from asking what I did soon after.
"Do you still hate me?"
Jimin slowly placed the skillet on a cloth on the table and raised his eyebrow at me, grinning sheepishly. He pulled out a knife from the drawer and cut the breakfast into smaller pieces in order to help us out.
"Start eating while it's moderately hot. Taehyung will come soon," Jimin told me and I nodded. I cut a small bit of the Baked Cheddar and Potatoes, and it was just as I had expected it to be.
It melted in my mouth. The rich taste hitting me first before luring me into its cheesy wonders. My face lit up and Jimin instantly realised that I was extremely happy with his cooking.
"I don't cook bad, do I?" He asked, laughing and I shook my head a bit too quickly that I ended up embarrassed.
"And as to answer to your question, I do not hate you. I realised I shouldn't have judged you on the basis of your choices always, but I did and that wasn't nice of me. I apologise for that," Jimin replied sternly. His reply in all its austereness quickly reminded me that Jimin was a prince too.
Maybe, it was just a princely thing to change moods and behaviours according to people and circumstances.
"I'm glad that you don't hate me anymore, Jimin-ah," I smiled. I was beyond elated. I finally felt at ease when Jimin had seemingly forgiven me.
Taehyung quickly walked out of his room, looking handsome as ever. It made me wonder how even people looked that good after freshening up from a good sleep.
"Princess, morning!" He greeted me and giving Jimin a quick nod, he broke into a smile and greeted him the same.
"He cooked," I informed Taehyung, and Taehyung widened his eyes in surprise. Jimin rolled his eyes and glared at Taehyung.
"Can I have you here every day? You make the impossible possible," Taehyung teased and I laughed. A tingle ran down my spine at Taehyung's request that he had made jokingly.
"I don't cook because I know you will. It's called making the best of the situation," Jimin scoffed back and I chuckled. Jimin nonchalantly continued, "Eat now, would you?"
Taehyung sat next to me and gestured Jimin to join him too. We spoke about the kingdoms we belonged to, and all about it's grandeur and majesty. We spoke about us and we spoke about everything fascinating under the sun. It wasn't merely conversational topics put forth but of true wonders and clouds of doubt.
I ended up having one of the classiest breakfast along with one of the best moments spent in the morning so far.
After all, it was only in the best of the companies we keep that we truly do find our mirth.
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annyeong haseyo!
i hope you had a great week. drop by and tell me all about it.
are you still on your winter breaks? if you are, i'm envious. i have my exams currently and gosh, i am genuinely struggling. i think my head's going to explode.
hence, i have not been able to write and i do miss writing this. i've it all sketched out but i need time. haha, tell me where can i buy some. i guess, i won't be able to update the next week. so, i apologise for that. be patient for me. it'd mean so much to me.
vote and comment, if you liked the chapter and drop by your feedback. i'd appreciate that. thank you. saranghae.
much love, ruth x