Wildflowers (Jikook)

Chapter 2: Village

Now sitting in the car with a sunny smiled stranger on a hot day nowhere on earth, he didn't know if this was still a good idea or not. But it was a good thing that he decided to pack more summer clothes, following the advice of Gi Rang. Maybe he should at least send some thank-you postcards to her. Yeah, that would do.

"Ah?"

Jungkook then realized the stranger man, Hoseok, was asking him something.

"We are going to get on the ferry in a few minutes." Hoseok repeated what he was asking with the same cherry smile. "So, I was asking if you needed to buy anything from the village before that. Because we usually don't come to the village until next weekend."

Then Jungkook realized they were passing through Doldang village. It wasn't as large as Jungkook had expected. A very small village with a small population. But they seemed to have everything they needed. There was a post office, police, school, and hospital. And several stores were located beside the road.

"No, I don't." Jungkook wondered if there was anything he could buy from this small village. It really looked very outdated.

"Okay." Hoseok drove skillfully on the road. "But I need to buy several groceries for Tae. I hope you don't mind. You can walk around and come in half an hour."

Without letting Jungkook say anything, Hoseok parked the car in front of what looked like a large market and went inside. Cursing about his luck, Jungkook also stepped out of the car, inhaling fresh air that carried a hint of salt. At least the air in this place was better than the usual polluted air of Seoul.

"What are we going to do now Bam." Jungkook asked the dog in the back seat. "Should we go for a walk?"

"Woof." Dobermann excitedly swung his tail. 'Yes, daddy, let's go for a walk.'

"Of course, you want to go for a walk."

Jungkook said fondly before opening the back door and letting Bam out.

"Woof! Woof!"

Bam jumped excitedly as Jungkook took a chain attached to its collar. Bam was usually well-behaved and trained. But he didn't want to get a chance to run through this strange village.

"Aigoo, you're really excited. Isn't?" Jungkook rubbed a little behind Bam's ears the way he liked most. "Okay let's go."

With that, he started their stroll through the busy road.

They walked around, observing the things displayed at the windows of the shops. He could see the music store, bookshop, ice cream parlor, various food stalls, and all the various items displayed by shop windows. He could sense some stares from passing by obviously recognizing he didn't belong to the village. But he ignored them. Until a voice called out for him.

"Hello, are you going to the center of the island?"

Jungkook turned to look at where the voice came from. He came to face with an elderly woman who was watering the flowerpots in front of the shop that had a sign saying, 'All Gardening'.

"Yes, I am."

Jungkook answered with a polite bow.

"Oh, good. Then you can take this to Haru." With that, the old lady disappeared into the shop without further explanation. So, Jungkook, who also didn't have another choice, followed her in curiosity with Bam on heels.

As the name says, the whole shop was filled with all kinds of gardening tools.

Shelves lined with handcrafted pots and clay urns painted in a myriad of hues. Rows of rakes, shovels, and hoes were neatly arranged along one wall. In the center of the shop stood an old wooden workbench. It showcased a collection of pruners, shears, and secateurs.