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What is love? How do they find it outside their usual circle? When will he meet that one person destined for him? Will he ever find one?
With a hot cup of cocoa in his hands, Tae asks himself these questions. Questions he could not answer at the moment but he's not losing any hopes-- very soon he'll find out the answers himself. He looks from the cocoa to the scenery outside; the cherry blossom trees are in full bloom, the soft spring breeze delicately sweeps hundreds and hundreds of petals in the air making the streets look more beautiful in pink. He smiles looking at the elderly couple; hand in hand, smiling as they talk about something he could not even guess. What do old couples talk about? Grandchildren? They seem to be the topic of his grandparents whenever he visits them. And for the longest time since his return from abroad, they've been asking about his marriage plans. Not that he doesn't love his grandparents, but it's just annoying when they keep on pestering him about marriage when he rarely visits them.
He huffs, looks back to the cup in his hand then, brings it up to his mouth. The weather is nice. The warmth of the sun brings joy to him. Although he must admit, there is some kind of foreign feeling to him in this familiar place. He could not really explain it-- this was his favorite place when he was in high school and it still is a favorite. Maybe he was gone for far too long that going back to this cafe feels strange to him.
Soulmate.
This is the word that has been running in his head for the past couple of weeks. Not long ago, he had dinner with his university friend. Jin was talking (more like rambling) about a certain feeling he had when he met this stranger. Tae is still puzzled by the whole story. He knows Jin isn't someone who romanticize things, so hearing such story from him is mind-boggling.
How does it feel when you finally meet that one person? Does it feel like fireworks exploding in the skies as how Jin explains it? Does your heart beat faster like how Hobi repeatedly tells Jungkook? Can one even tell if they have already met that soulmate?
He smirks then looks outside again.
He sighs while looking at the young couple sitting on the bench. How young are they? Fifteen? Seventeen? Thirteen? --he could only guess. The girl leans closer to the boy, plants a kiss on his cheek and then smiles at him. The boy, on the other hand, doesn't do anything except smile at her too. Tae wonders: does he even like her? He thinks not. But then again, that is only another guess.
On the other side of the cafe, Jimin is sitting at the table facing the river. He loves sitting here because he could see the people and the trees on either side and the calming flow of the river in the middle. Since high school, this is his favorite spot. He's an ambivert who finds solace in being alone and in less crowded places. He found this place in his freshmen days while following a boy who he thought was lost.
He laughs at himself.
It is a good memory-- one that he could tell his grandchildren. He even wrote about that day in his diary. He also told his friends about it and they all laughed at him-- they still do whenever they remember that one fine day in fall when Park Jimin, the freshman who wanted to be a good samaritan ended up becoming a stalker of a good-looking boy. He wonders where that boy is now. After that day, he never saw him again but he still went to this cafe hoping to see him again. Well, maybe... just maybe he still goes here in the hopes of meeting him again. He's probably drop-dead gorgeous by now. He shakes his head lightly while smiling, stirs the paper straw of his iced americano then takes a hearty sip of the drink.
Is it possible to fall in love with someone you barely know?
He puts back the glass on the table, leans on the chair, crosses his legs and arms, and furrowing his brows ponders this question.
Yoongi, his cousin, keeps on talking about this "beautiful stranger" he sees at the seaside park near his house. How Yoongi talks about this stranger, he could sense he's quite serious when he said he feels like he's in love with this unknown person. How long has he been staring at that person from afar? A week? Two? Probably more than that, yet he still couldn't muster the courage to walk over and introduce himself?
He giggles, "what a coward!"
But will one ever find that courage to even smile and say hi to someone while your head and heart wrestles about mixed weird feelings and thoughts? He couldn't even look at people in the eye, how much more introducing himself to someone "heavenly beautiful" (as how Yoongi words it)?
He sighs. He doesn't remember the feeling.
Outside, the branches of the trees sway as they dance to the melody of the early Spring breeze showering the park their beautiful pink and white petals. The grasses are green with glee. The birds are singing to the song of the season while the people do what humans normally do these days: taking pictures, talking to their friends or loved ones, relaxing, and basically, enjoying the scenery that nature is currently offering them. Anytime soon the season will change and the colors in the park will turn from pink to something else. The air will become warmer-- even hot, and then chilly... then back. The earth will continue to hum as it turns. It is a cycle.
A cycle no one knows when will end-- or maybe not at all. Maybe it will not end. People will come to this place then go and perhaps, back again. We don't know.
Jimin sighs and on the other side, Tae does the same.
Jimin's phone beeps. He fishes his phone out from his jeans' pocket to see Yoongi's message. His eyes grow big. A few moments pass, maybe two seconds or less before he pushes his seat and grabs his iced coffee from the table and his trench coat from the seat. He rushes out.
Tae finishes the last drop of his cocoa, then stands up to walk outside and enjoy the scenery more. He pulls the door open... but before he could move a step forward, someone bumps unto him from the side.
He mutters in his flat tone 'oh' but in truth, he's a bit surprised.
The other person bows but doesn't even throw a glance at him. Tae says, "it's okay. Please," while he gestures his hand for the other person to take the door first.
Jimin doesn't know what's with him, he suddenly feels like looking at the person who has opened the door and is now telling him to go first. He follows his instinct: slowly, he raises his head to see the other person's face. And while his eyes are already small, the size isn't the reason he is squinting-- his brain is remembering somethings while his eyes scan the face of the boy in front of him.
Tae doesn't know what is happening. He stands there immovable-- he is frozen. His head is blank as he looks at the pretty stranger in front of him.
Maybe Jin is wrong. Maybe it's not as if fireworks are exploding in the skies. Maybe it is as if the world stops spinning yet your eyes can still see images-- images of the past, the present, and... the future.
Maybe Yoongi is right. You will not be able to muster any kind of courage in any form-- not the slightest of it when you find yourself looking at the most beautiful thing your eyes has laid on.
Not even the beauty of Spring will ever beat the scenery that they are both currently looking at.