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Jake watched the boy glide across the ice effortlessly, gaping in amazement. In Jake's arms, was a big bouquet of flowers. He had hand-picked every single one, especially for the skater performing now. It had been a long time since the two had seen each other, seeing as the boy had started travelling around the world for competitions. Jake was glad to see him again. Painfully sitting through the whole contest, he felt giddy just thinking of meeting his childhood friend.
Jake would have to admit, he had had a small crush on the boy, he still did. But then again, how could someone not. He was sweet and caring, a pro at ice skating. Jake had never met another person like him.
Finally, the winners were announced. Jake bounced his leg anxiously, the other contestants were just as good, would he be able to win?
"Second place goes to...Park Sunghoon!" the crowd cheered loudly, and Jake felt like a rock had been lifted off his chest. Second place wasn't bad. He just hoped Sunghoon was proud of himself.
Once the award ceremony was over, including a speech from the winners, the crowd started to disperse. Jake jumped up and made his way towards the benches near the rink, thinking of what he was going to say.
"Hey, congrats on getting second place!"
No, to normal. He wanted to say something special.
"Hey, long time no see!"
Nah, that would be weird. After all, it has been almost 10 years, they've both grown, who knew if Sunghoon could still recognise him.
Jake swallowed his saliva as he noticed the boy he was looking for. Sunghoon was talking to a bunch of girls, a bouquet of gold roses in his hand. Jake felt his heart sink. Maybe this wasn't right. Sunghoon looked like he had someone to keep him company anyway. Turning on his heels, Jake started walking in the opposite direction, giving up the idea of greeting Sunghoon.
"Jake! Wait!" Jake stopped in his tracks when he heard his name being called. Looking back, he saw Sunghoon waving at him frantically, trying to squeeze through the crowd. Jake just stood there, not knowing how to react. He watched as Sunghoon bumped into quite a number of people, apologising to them until he was finally in front of Jake.
"Jake! Thank God you heard me! I wanted to talk to you before the competition but there wasn't any time." Sunghoon smiled at him, panting a bit. Jake just stood there, mouth frozen shut. His mind was telling him to say something, but his mouth wouldn't open up to make any sound. When had Sunghoon gotten so handsome? Jake felt attacked.
Quickly snapping out of his daze, Jake pushed the bouquet in his toward Sunghoon, blushing a deep crimson. "These are for you, congrats on winning second place," Jake mumbled, looking anywhere but at Sunghoon. "Thank you, they look lovely." Sunghoon chuckled.
"I picked them for you! Every flower has its own meaning. The Iris means you're incredibly wise, and the yellow Jasmines mean you're very elegant and...and..." Jake's voice slowly died down when he realised Sunghoon still had the gold roses the girls had given him. His bouquet was nothing compared to that.
"And?" Sunghoon asked, the smile on his face diming a bit when he noticed Jake's enthusiasm dying down. "It's nothing. This bouquet is too average for you anyway. The gold roses suit you more" Jake mumbled the last part to himself. Unfortunately, Sunghoon heard.
"Oh, those roses. They're nothing special, they just cost a lot. Yours is more valuable." Sunghoon waved his hand to dismiss the overpriced flowers he had received earlier. "Really?" Jake asked, his eyes glittering as he looked at Sunghoon. Sunghoon just nodded.
"Oh, did you know that the yellow lilies symbolize happiness? It means you will always be happy. And this is the myrtle flower, which means devotion and love of what you do."
Sunghoon felt his lips tug up into a smile as he watched the boy describe the flowers passionately. Jake hasn't changed at all. He was still the same affectionate and considerate boy. He was still the same boy Sunghoon liked, and Sunghoon was glad.
"What does this one mean then?" Sunghoon asked, pointing at the red rose in the middle of the bouquet. Jake blushed a bit, smiling to himself. He pulled Sunghoon down to whisper in his ear.
"It means I love you."