You were sitting on the cold and hard rock that lay only five feet from the sparkling pond. Everyday, you came to observe and sketch all the beautiful wildlife that lived in or near the pond.
This was your daily routine. Come out in the early morning and sit on the rock and sketch the heron, or the geese, or the pond itself.
It was peaceful, calming and beautiful. You loved being out here. Just you and nature.
Until a jogger came along and ruined your plans.
"Excuse me?" He came, his long hair pulled back into a pony tail, "I think I got off trail. You wouldn't happen to know how I could get back on the south trail?"
You were shocked. No one, no one, was ever out here. You nodded and pointed behind you.
The man smiled, "Your sketch looks great. I'm Jeonghan, by the way. Could I stay here for a little?"
You nodded again, gave a small smile and went back to sketching. You turned your head, knowing your cheeks would be flushed.
"Is it okay if I come here again?" He asked, hoping you'd say yes. When he saw you nod he thanked you and left.
And from then on Jeonghan "wandered off trail" more often. Every day he would come, watch you sketch and then leave. Sometimes he brought breakfast which you two ate quietly. You didn't want to be rude so you accepted but you were silent. He would always make conversation and you would smile, never speaking back.
Today you waited patiently. You began sketching Jeonghan. His hair always pulled back into the pony tail but the one section that would always lay perfectly against his face.
You waited. And waited. And waited.
Although you knew before Jeonghan had come into your life you sketched by the pond alone. But now, it was like you had forgotten what that was like. You missed having Jeonghan's presence, you missed his smiles and how he never pushed you to talk. Being as shy as you were you had a hard time making friends but Jeonghan was patient and stayed for some reason.
He must have gotten tired of my silence. It wouldn't be a first. You were used to it. People were patient, but they all had their limits. He must have reached his limit.
You put your sketchbook back into your bag and called it a day.
Jeonghan didn't show up the next day.
Nor the day after that.
You were sure that he wasn't coming back.
You were sitting on the rock ready to sketch, enjoying the serenity of the pond. The water was still until fish began nibbling at the surface for any hints of food. The sound of leaves rustling in the wind and trees. You took a deep breath simply living in the moment.
When you felt like your sketch was finished, you closed your book and tucked the pencil into your pocket, getting up from the rock.
Just like the day you met, Jeonghan came jogging.
"Do I have permission to sit with the cool kid?" He joked. It was a lame joke that you didn't really get but you smiled.
"I'm so sorry I didn't come for the past three days! I had a really bad fever and was stuck in bed-"
"Jeonghan," You quietly interrupted, "Will you walk me home?"
His eyes widened, he broke out into the widest grin he could manage and began rapidly nodding his head. He regained his cool but the large smile remained on his face, "I'd love to."
