living alone in a rather spacious dorm seemed like a blessing at first, but it almost feels too big for one person these days. he’s too much of a stickler for rules to really challenge himself to bring home any of the animals from the shelter he’s been volunteering at, but plants seem like the closest alternative he can manage.
jiyul doesn’t know a lot about taking care of plants, but the lady at the nursery seemed pretty enthusiastic about this specific spearmint plant as a stepping stone—so he’s optimistic. plus, it’s kind of nice seeing so much green. maybe he’s a little fond of it already. should he name it?
he’s a little distracted as he walks across campus, gaze flickering from the path in front of him and back to his plant (still thinking of names—is it weird to name plants, he wonders?). it’s not surprise that at some point, jiyul’s attention focuses for too long on the plant, and whether it looks like it might be wilting already. the tip of his shoe catches on an uneven edge of the pavement and he stumbles forward.
thankfully, he barely catches himself. not so thankfully, the tiny mint plant goes flying—and flying until it starts falling, and falling, landing upside down, almost completely upturned, on some poor, unsuspecting student ( @sgnsunwoo ).
jiyul freezes, eyes widening ever-so-slightly. he feels paralyzed, isn’t sure where to begin with damage control. he’s bad with strangers as is, but when a disaster’s struck?
he rushes forward, busying his hands with brushing the dirt off of the stranger’s shoulders and picking up the remnants of his poor, unnamed plant. “i—i’m so sorry. i wasn’t watching where i was going, and i—i’m sorry. can i… ah, pay for your laundry?”
For someone who’d grown up in the big city, maybe finding himself sidetracked gawking at everything Seongnam’s campus had to behold was ridiculous. But the thrill of being away from home, grasping at those first straws of independence made everything feel just a bit more exhilarating and newer. Plus, he’d always harbored a fondness for spring times blooming bright colors.
Stars in bespectacled eyes, he skipped along the path with a light heart and step. University! The big wide world! He was in the thick of everything and couldn’t be happier to share the same electric air with childhood friends and new acquaintances alike. Far too enveloped in the sheer joy of life to notice as another student stumbled and accidentally launched a little green rocket to land on him in a mess of soil.
“Oh dear,” he began, blinking in surprise and confusion, “is this some kind of new student tradition?” As the other man rushed forward to retrieve the hapless plant and began brushing away the mess, he assured, “it’s okay! I always like to get a little dirty in the morning.” Which, as an avid gardener, wasn’t just a kindness to ease the others conscience. “Don’t fret yourself over a few messy clothes. Laundry isn’t a problem for me.”
“Rather,” mouth twisted into a downturn as he made a soft, sad, hum over the poor state of the little plant, “I’m much more worried about your friend than my clothes.” Switching into full horticulture enthusiast mode, Sunwoo carefully studied it. “Mint, right? These guys are quick growers, so I know it looks bad right now, but give it some time and space. You’ll be surprised at how quickly it’ll bounce back.” Switching his attention back to the person, he asked with brows arching over glasses frames, “do you have many plants?”