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SUMMER
The tiny wooden house is a perfect retreat for searing summer days. When the heat climbs over 30 degrees, Taehyung spends the afternoons splayed on the couch downstairs, reading.
When the sun sets, he opens every window in the house to let in the cooling evening air inside and goes for a stroll around the garden. Taehyung has a route he follows every night, down the main path, through the curved passages amidst the thick rose bushes. Sometimes, when the wind doesn't make his skin shiver, he sits on the grass breathing in the smell of evening primroses until he can see Ursa Major shining bright above him.
On early mornings, Taehyung sits on the edge of the green Japanese bridge, toes dipping into the warm water. On some days, he brings his sketch pad with him and draws the pink water lilies blooming across the surface of the pond. At other times, he simply sits and stares at the rippling surface, the scales of large carps swimming beneath him glistening in the sunlight.
On some days Taehyung wakes up early to avoid the heat, pulls out an old sturdy bike and cycles to the town to buy freshly baked goods. He usually brings flowers from his garden with him, — in exchange for them, he ends up with extra treats from the lady who runs the bakery and a spare slice of pork from the butcher. Taehyung brings the said meat home, cuts it up and feeds the lonely brown cat that comes by his house in the evening.
There's a field filled with poppies not far away from Taehyung's garden. When the red flowers are in full bloom, he sets out for a walk across it, long fingers stroking the delicate petals. On some days, he ends up picking a full bouquet of them to decorate the tiny kitchen. Sometimes he simply sits on the ground hidden within the tall grass and gazes at the cloudless sky.
On Mondays, Taehyung brings roses to the lady who lives in a house not far from his. He often gets an offer for lunch in return and they eat in a quaint wooden arbour in her backyard. The lady tells him stories from her youth and Taehyung's mind travels back to the days he wasn't even born.
When the summer heat reaches its peak and slowly simmers down, Taehyung picks black currants and gooseberries off of large outgrown bushes and carries them home in woven baskets. As the afternoon rolls by, he stands behind the stove, bare chested with his shirt thrown over his shoulder as he stirs the pots with soon-too-be jam, doors and windows open to let out the searing clouds of steam.
AUTUMN
Taehyung notices the first traces of fall as he walks down the dusty road back home from an afternoon walk. The clusters of berries hanging from the branches of rowan trees have gone orange. Somewhere in the distance he hears the rumble of thunder.
September comes bearing rainstorms and Taehyung hurries to tend weakest of the flowers before they get trampled by the frequent showers. The temperature drops at night and he finds himself curled under two blankets as his mind drifts away.
He ends up picking late apples on breezy September afternoons. Sometimes a basket or two is left on the front step on his neighbour’s house as a thank you for company and a wish of a peaceful winter.
Taehyung sits on the Japanese bridge, an open book on his lap, as his eyes track the reddened leaves of a willow from the other side of the pond floating in the crisp air and landing on the surface of the murky water. He can feel the traces of upcoming winter in the wind caressing his skin.
When it's not raining, Taehyung picks up an old rake from the storage house and spends the afternoon cleaning up the leaves that have covered the path to the front door of the house. In the evening, he sets the neat piles ablaze. His skin shivers in the cold breeze and he reaches out to the flame to warm his sore fingers.
WINTER
The first snowfall covers the ground in a light layer of white. Behind a cup of morning tea, Taehyung watches as fluffy clusters float down from the grey sky and land on the silent ground. The pansies he had planted outside the kitchen window still bloom violet through the snow.
The forecast predicts a week of heavy snowfall ahead, so Taehyung sets out to the town to stock up on food and other goods. He goes on foot, bundled up in layers of sweaters and scarves, knit hat snuggled over his head. As Taehyung walks down the dirt road, the snow crunches beneath his feet. When he stops to take a breather and closes his eyes, all he can hear is the serene twinkling of the frost within the silence.
The tiny wooden house isn't the best when it comes to holding heat, so Taehyung resorts to keeping the fireplace lit throughout both days and nights. His fingers ache as he carries an armful of wood from the shed outside. A tower of smoke can be seen floating through the chimney, promising warmth. To Taehyung, home has never looked this welcoming before.
On a good day when the skies clear and the temperature drops even lower, Taehyung pulls out a pair of well-worn skates and walks down to the pond. The glistening of the snow is blinding, so he closes his eyes shut as he skates along the edges in a long-memorized pattern.
It's been three days since the storm started brewing outside and Taehyung is stuck in his bed, finishing his 5th novel. The blizzard is so thick he can barely see a few meters outside the house. As he watches the raging winds wreak havoc, his mind travels back to the stray cat he fed that summer. Taehyung hopes the kind neighbour of his took it in.
When he goes out for a walk, Taehyung takes his camera with him. He trails into the forest across the road, stopping to take photos of frozen branches and rustling tree tops. When spring comes, he will travel to the city, get them developed and send out a good half as postcards to his friends. The other half, he will stick above his tiny desk.
SPRING
He knows spring is around the corner when the blooms of snowdrops come out from beneath the white blanket. Days in, as he's doing the dishes, Taehyung hears the first birds chirping outside the window and smiles to himself. Next time he goes outside, he doesn't need gloves anymore.
The first rain comes at night, washing away most of the snow off the plants and muddy paths. The light pattering wakes Taehyung up early, and he sits in bed, buddled up in thick sheets, watching as the raindrops tap against the glass of the window. It's still chilly outside, but the glint of sunshine through the clouds promises a warm spring.
He comes to the pond with water lilies as soon as the warm showers stop and is greeted by the croaking of the frogs. Sitting cross-legged on the Japanese bridge, he draws the scenery in front of him: the open skies and the large willow tree, the tall grass, and the frogs waiting for their mates. Spring makes Taehyung content.
Taehyung exchanges his winter boots for rubber ones, as he walks down the mushy path into the garden, a basket of seeds in his hand. The ground is soft enough when he dips his fingers into the dirt, the winter frost long gone. Accompanied by the cheerful songs of starlings, he fills the flower beds with seeds of lobelias, tagetes and cosmos, and his lips curl into a satisfied smile.
May comes bearing pastel petals of apple trees and cherries, scattering in clusters all over the garden. After tending the flowers, Taehyung spends his afternoons with a book, taking in the faint smell of the blossoming trees. It's warm enough for him to be walking barefoot again, so he allows himself to forget where his shoes are for another 5 months.
The heat comes back in waves, like it always does in northern France. Together with it, the stray cat from last year makes its way back to Taehyung's porch. He sits on the concrete stairs and feeds the animal, eyes staring at the bright pink evening sky. June is almost around the corner, he musters.
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My wish is to stay always like this, living quietly in the corner of nature.
Claude Monet