SONGS OF WINTER | pjm

00 | HYMN

THE TEMPERATURE HAD dropped to a single digit, rooftops and the ground were adorned in a thick layer of lacy white. thick white fluffs blanketed the bare trees, hiding their nakedness from the world. those that retained their evergreen cloak were also draped in white as they stood tall and proud. the first snow which had fallen through the night ushered in the month of december with its flurry of untainted white.

the season's spirit was already getting around, christmas decorations going up early at a few homes and establishments. they splashed the plain whalebone white scenery with deep red and evergreen.

park jimin buried the lower half of his face further into his winter puffer jacket, leaving only his eyes in view and hiding his reddened nose. his gloved hands were tucked in the pockets, a navy blue knapsack hanging from his back. his bubblegum pink hair hidden underneath his trapper hat, only a few strands escaped into view.

he glanced over to the side when he noticed something in his peripheral vision. it was a pastry shop across the street. one that hadn't been there a week ago. sweethearts. the name was written in gold lettering over the pastel pink framed glass door in a font that could only be identified as sweetheart script. it was painted a lovely pastel pink and from the large glass windows, parts of the minimalist white and pastel pink interior could somewhat be seen though the lights were off.

"quaint." he remarked with a small, hidden smile before moving ahead. he mentally bookmarked it, planning to make a painting or sketch of it later.

his eyes followed the snowflakes twirling and pirouetting around him to the crunch of the snow underneath his boots as they danced their way to the ground. squinting, he tried to see if he could make out the unique, individual patterns of at least one of them. it was next to impossible and he knew but it was still interesting to try.

straightening up, jimin made a quick turn towards the small park. dusting the snow off the wood, he settled down on a bench. he pulled his knapsack off, feeling coldness from the snow seep into his jeans. opening the knapsack, he searched through the art supplies he'd packed and picked a small sketchbook and a watercolour set.

his hands flipped open the book, eyes brushing over previous sketches as pages flew by. he found the first blank page and stopped before finally looking up. his eyes moved around, trying to find something that would pique his interest. his lips pressed together in disappointment when everything seemed to be dull.

besides him, there didn't seem to be anyone out and about. which was understandable, considering the fact that the weather was chilly and the flurry of snow that had begun late at night showed no signs of letting up. and especially since it was so early on a sunday morning.

that was when he heard it. the soft hum of a familiar tune. jimin turned towards the sound, recognising it as a very well-known hymn.

his gaze fell on a girl holding a paper bag in one hand and a leash in the other. at the end of the pale blue leash was an extremely excitable maltese puppy that couldn't seem to stop running around and sniffing anything of interest, in spite of its restrictions. the owner didn't seem to mind as she continued to hum the famous tune.

jimin found himself unconsciously fitting in the words to the song in his head, getting lost in the soft sound she made.

there was an elegance to the way she moved, back straight, slight sway in her hips, footsteps brisk. he watched her long dark brown braids dance from side to side underneath her black woollen beanie as she walked. the fact that her earthy brown skin glistened gold even in the harsh weather astonished him.

her jean clad legs were long, covering a measured distance with each step. her light stonewash mom jeans and soft grey sweater matched the palette of the weather but she still seemed to stand out in spite of it.

the small white puppy noticed jimin, tail wagging excitedly when their gazes met. the maltese almost seemed to grin at him before taking off in his direction. the girl's humming cut off in surprise when the leash slipped out of her hold. "nala! where are you running off to?!"

jimin's eyes rounded in surprise when the happy dog barrelled towards him. hurriedly dropping his sketchbook to the side, he held his arms out to catch the puppy leaping at him. "hi, cutie." he laughed as she licked at his face. "nala, hm?" he read her tag. "are you someone's gift? hers, perhaps?" he whispered, glancing up at the girl who was hurrying toward them.

"what the hell, nala?" she frowned on reaching them, eyes on her dog. nala in his arms, jimin got on his feet and nearly fell back when he got a good look at the girl's face.

her bare skin was radiant, like she was hiding liquid gold underneath the rich honey and chocolate surface. bow shaped lips much fuller at the bottom with a peaked cupid's bow glistened from pink gloss. a gold hoop ring shined from her button nose, another horseshoe ring adorning her septum.

her untamed brows arched naturally, thick and untrimmed as they furrowed in a frown. the skin between them creasing into small deliberate folds that somehow did nothing to deter the magnificence of her beauty.

for all the pride he had in his extensive vocabulary, jimin could only think of one word to describe her in that moment. "exquisite." he muttered under his breath.

"my dog?" she asked, her soft throaty voice snapping jimin out of his awestruck daze. he blinked, watching her lift her head to look at him.

when his gaze met hers, he froze. her upturned eyes were sharp and beautiful. but it was the colour they held that enraptured jimin. her right eye was a shade he could only describe as brown gold, like it trapped  every ray of sunlight ever caught in her iris and glowed from the stolen beauty. her left eye was a clear baby blue, like the calm ocean sparkling on a warm, cloudless day.

jimin's knees nearly gave way. she arched a brow in question when he didn't move. "i... ah, right. sorry." he carefully placed the still bumbling nala in her waiting arms.

"thanks. and sorry for the inconvenience." she responded briskly. "bye," she didn't wait for jimin to respond before turning around and walking in her earlier direction.

jimin's mouth opened and closed without him being able to utter a word. instead he watched her leave, knowing he'd found a muse and hoping that by some amazing grace, they would meet again.