[ 🌨️ ]
WITH PINK PEONIES clutched in the palms of the chestnut's hand, he walked down the aisle of the theatre, sitting in the third row as people continued to file in. the auditorium had become full of people all around—he didn't expect a recital to be so popular. or maybe Aera never told him, nonetheless played for him.
with the program clasped in his hands and the flowers in his arms, he watched the lights dim and the program about to start. to his side, he turned to see an older man sitting near him. he tilted his head to a small nod and looked forward again, as the older man's eyebrows furrowed at the flowers.
Beomgyu ignored the staring man and straightened his shoulders, clearing his throat. though Christmas wasn't for another two weeks, the room glittered with accents of the holiday. reefs above the stage, red bows decorating the staircases. outside where he had just entered, there had been glistening fairy lights.
there was nothing Beomgyu loved more than winter. the luminosity bouncing off of the snow and lighting up the night sky. it was dark outside—sparking the night owl inside of him that loved this time of year.
he smiled as he watched the seats filling up, all ready to see the girl perform. he didn't realize her skills were so popular—but he also didn't recognize anybody in the crowd. he thought at least some people would fill in the seats from her class but this time of year was busy for everybody.
his thoughts were soon interrupted as the lights dimmed and the illumination of artificial light glowed the girl walking onto the stage.
Beomgyu cheered and clapped alongside the other people in the crowd. he smiled as she soon made eye contact with the boy, a sense of confidence running through her fingers. she took a bow and sat on the piano stool. she placed the microphone close to her mouth and conducted a few finger exercises before playing beautiful high notes.
Beomgyu was in awe. he had never ever heard her play piano, let alone sing. but somehow, she glistened. she was so ethereal, the light bounced off of her dark, black hair and meshed with her long, silky, white dress. everything about her aura felt surreal to him. how could he be so lucky to call her a friend?
his mouth went agape and suddenly, it felt like all of the people surrounding him had disappeared once she sang her love song she had written. it was as though only him and her were in the room, as though she was so elegantly singing to him. she continued for so long, yet it felt so short and so perfect he didn't even realize ten minutes had passed by
until he felt his phone vibrate. he sighed as he was going to put it down, until he realized it was his mother who he hadn't heard from in weeks.
he was fighting an inter battle. should he leave and possibly disappoint Aera? or should he speak with his mother that he hadn't heard from in months?
and with that, he walked out without a sound and the peonies clutched in the palms of his hands.
he shut the doors behind him as he walked out to avoid making a sound. the cold weather hit him as he shivered.
"hi mom!" he smiled. "i haven't talked to you in so long, you've been so busy."
"i missed you, love. how is everything there?"
"it's good! i'm on holiday break for another few weeks but i'm at a recital right now for my best friend."
"hueningkai?"
"no," he chuckled. "he's not in town yet, but i'm with my new best friend. her name is Aera, i've been dying to talk to you about her."
"i cant wait to hear about her!"
"you'll love her." he laughed. "so, how's work? i couldn't get a hold of you."
"i actually wanted to call you for that reason. you see, the work trip is taking a lot longer than they anticipated. i won't be back until new years."
"what?" Beomgyu felt his eyes well up with tears. "b-but you said—"
"i know, i'm so sorry, sweetheart. i know this is another Christmas without me. but i promise to be back at new years."
"mom, it's not about Christmas." a tear drop fell down his eyes. "i just want to see you again! its been months."
"i know, and i really miss you too. but, i cant control how long the work trips abroad are. i'm really sorry. i love you, okay?"
he wiped his tear and shifted his vision to the sky to avoid letting his tears slip. "stay safe."
he heard the line end as she hung up. he couldn't remember how or when, but his body hit the floor as he sobbed between his knees. he cried as the snow hit his body, the peonies unshielded from the cold air.
he was used to this. another few weeks without his mother. but somehow, he had hope. like a foolish one, he had hope.
he was used to this.
the feeling of leaving. the feeling of betrayal. the same feelings that he was giving Aera right now.
[ 🌨️ ]
she looked up from her final bow after her performance as she paused, her vision falling upon the empty seat next to her father. the seat Beomgyu had been in. her eyebrows furrowed as her smile faded and the announcer signaled for her to walk down the stairs and receive applause from the audience.
but her eyes were looking for one person and one person only.
"you did magnificent!" a woman stopped her as Aera's vision did not stop scoping around the room.
"thank you." she smiled, not even looking at the woman. as she felt a tap on her shoulder, hoping it would be Beomgyu, she whipped her head around only for it to be another audience member.
"how did you manage to become such a talented pianist?" Aera continued to look around the room bowing to the man as many people were circling around her asking questions, complimenting her or asking for a photo.
had she not been hyper fixated on finding a certain person, she would've broken down by now. but her search for Beomgyu continued before she was halted by another tap. this time from her father.
"i'm so proud of you."
the words struck Aera. she's never ever heard that from him before—especially at her first ever sold out theater. she thanked him and embraced him tightly.
"i love you." she smiled. "i'll be back, i need to go find somebody." she smiled again as she looked down, feeling as if she was stepping on something.
she brushed a strand of hair back before picking it up.
the petal of a pink peony.
[ 🌨️ ]
9 missed calls, no luck from Aera's side. she walked up and down the hallways of the theater, all throughout the lobby—Beomgyu would never, ever, leave her without a reason.
especially at one of her most important nights.
"you should've been here." she whispered to herself.
where could he have gone? she picked up her dress from the ground as it dragged on the floor becoming dirtier as she continued to search for him. she sighed before stepping outside without her coat. somehow, the coat didn't matter.
"Beomgyu?!" she screamed from a distance in the cold air. there was nobody outside, just the fairy lights that illuminated the stairs she was looking from. somehow, the stars weren't aligning. in an ideal universe, Beomgyu would've stayed, he would've rushed up to her while she was still bowing. he would've screamed her name in the theater. he would've kissed her as she smiled. everything would've been perfect.
she clutched the peony petal in the palm of her hand and from a distance her eyes met a familiar figure sitting at the bench. the snow fell on top of the figure.
she panted and bolted down the steps, clutching onto the petal as she reached to the boy.
"Beomgyu." she crossed her arms from the cold and took a seat next to her. the boy sat in silence for a moment, watching the snow accumulate. without a word, he took off his coat and placed it on the girl's shoulders.
"i'm so sorry i left early." he looked at her. his eyes puffy, his mouth quivered, his face pale. "i was so proud of you." he reached to his side for the peonies that were now snow covered.
"these are my favorite." she smiled.
"are you disappointed that i left?" he placed his head on her shoulder. "i was worried about that."
"i knew my best friend wouldn't have left without a reason." she smiled. "are you okay?"
"i'm okay." he looked back up at her and tugged at their string.
"i know that's a lie." she sighed. "but i won't make you speak. we can just sit like this for a while until you want to go."
she laid out this coat so they were covered with it like a blanket and sat at the park bench, watching the snow fall.
"thank you for being here."
Aera smiled. "i always will and plus—" she tugged at her side of the string. "you can't really get rid of me."
they laughed and talked for a few minutes before sitting in silence and walking their way back to their homes.