01

abience

(the strong urge to avoid someone or something.)

15th June, 2019

THERE are two infectious things in this world, according to Han Ju Ho. The love for food and sunshine energy. The origin of sunshine energy was partly from scrumptious and appealing food alongwith refreshing winds one is exposed to, from time to time.

Ju Ho's face basked in the balmy rays of sunlight, that filtered through the glass windows and rose tinted curtains on his left side. A large patch of sweat had formed along the hemline of his white tee's neckline and at the back. The blades of the old fan rotated at its best speed trying to filter out the stagnant air in the room.

His long, slender fingers kneaded a fresh batch of dough. He wasn't really looking forward to having tons of customer early in the morning. Normally, his busy days were the weekends, when the crew of television shows dropped by, after wrapping up, thanks to all the positive reviews on the internet, that his career as a baker had earned him.

The new tenant was supposed to move in that day. 'Wind Bakery' occupied the ground floor of the two-storey building. The first floor was unoccupied since a couple of months. He wasn't expecting someone to rent it out for the whole of one year. It was quite interesting, as it was the first time he was observing such an incident. Tenants usually lasted a maximum of six days because of the rent, during the peak tourism season.

The landlord, Mr. Hwang wasn't really a pleasant person to begin with. His vinegar temper prevented him from treating his tenants amiably. Despite owning a great deal of property, both in the Jeju Islands and Seoul, he was quite the miser. He wouldn't even pinch in a thousand won for charity or for the local carnival.

Jeju Islands has had a sharp increase in population since a couple of years. Citizens looking for a nice change of air surely preferred Jeju. Soap operas were often shooted at the vibrant suburbs. Visiting Jeju Islands was a trend, to put into simple words.

Water cascaded down briskly from the mouth of the tap and washed away the remnants of flour off his hands. Letting the cotton of the towel run over his moist hands, he looked at the clock. There was still forty minutes left for the clock to strike seven.

He took some long strides towards the exterior of his space and switched on the light. Immediately, rays of soft beige light spread across the sign on the wall of the counter. It was a small luxury he allowed himself to afford. He had got the sign specially made from Seoul last summer. He fancied the cursive calligraphy font and the dot of the 'I' of 'Wind' morphed into the shape of a mini muffin.

The glass divisions of the display were empty. He brushed the disinfectant sprayed towel over and inside of each division of the display. He could see early birds and pedestrians pacing back and forth on the street, through the pentagon shaped transparent glass present on the wooden door.

He carefully placed the extravagantly decorated pastries and cookies inside the divisions according to the labels. Getting up at an unholy hour everyday, just to maintain quality and fame, strained him out completely by the setting of evening. He always made sure to have a wide range with limited stocks. Food wastage surely affected both his business and mind.

His regulars were experienced connoisseurs and never failed to express to express their love for his creations. Those little sentences and rapid seconds of feeling appreciated, embroidered little flowers and butterflies in Ju Ho's heart, like silly stranded cotton threads do on satin clothes. The pleasure on people's faces satisfied him to no end.

Marble had been following him around for quite some time. Finally finding the time, Ju Ho bent down to reach the soft fur that bejeweled his lower chin. He scratched his partner's mane as the latter closed his eyes and wagged his tail in pure pleasure. His tongue brushed his fingers, coating it with saliva. Marble never failed to shower his love for his owner in the kindest ways possible.

Ju Ho filled Marble's dish with some dog food. The furry creature was soon seen digging into his breakfast without paying any heed to the presence of Ju Ho.

He moved towards his bedroom to get ready for the day. Closing the door, he stripped off his worn-out tee and shorts. The mirror which was a bit taller than him, showed his torso's reflection. He slowly rubbed his thumb on the well built frame. Marvelling at how his Chloe Ting workouts were finally paying off, he grinned. It took him a little more than a couple of minutes to snap back to reality. Trying to be a Greek God wasn't going to pay his bills and the ridiculous rent.

Slipping into a white silk shirt and tawny cargo pants from the cluster of hangers that were arranged according to a proper colour scheme, he brushed his fingers over a string of pearls. The purchase of the necklace was surely a hasty decision from his side. He's been contemplating over whether to wear or give it away. Gulping a pool of saliva down his throat, he caged his neck with the jewel carefully.

His eyelashes fluttered, struggling to find the will to meet his reflection. There's no way he was going to meet the insane beauty standards ruling social media. He decided to be brave for a splitting second and looked at himself.

However, to his surprise, he wasn't really disappointed. The pearls levelled up his visuals in a finer way.

Ju Ho loved to work on himself, as in, who he was, both physically and emotionally. The outer shell needed proper care to protect the core.

Stepping out, he took a deep breath. The air quality was surely not upto the mark. He needed to make some wind loops. This time, he would have to make sure that they are tighter and long-lasting. It wouldn't be till the next twelve hours that he's going to catch a break. He surely needed to hire a part-timer or else he would collapse any day because of the workload. Handling another strenuous job secretly, wasn't surely convenient.

The sun outside was a mellow ball of light, yet to reach its maximum potential. Strings of cotton clouds spread across the vast sky. Patches of indigo and grey were visible at the distant horizon giving the monsoon sky a much discernible gradient touch.

He set off for the nearest flower shop. He took light and careful steps on the asphalt pavement of the street which was experiencing the first batch of pedestrians for the day. The heavy shower yesterday had resulted in the formation of some small ponds here and there. The potholes were brimming with mud water and it would remain that way till the end of the usual rainfall schedule.

He passed by the familiar faces of newspaper boys and workmen who were also starting their day early as usual. Ju Ho stuffed his hands inside the pockets of his pants. They were demanding warmth as the chilly weather has been quite a nuisance for them when they were idle.

The middle aged lady at the shop who was more likely referred to as Mrs Ko, was quite acquainted with him considering that he has been a regular for quite a few years. As he pushed the glass door open, he was immediately greeted by a warm smile and a polite 'welcome' bow. He made sure to bend as low as his back permitted to return the greeting.

"It's our pretty boy! Which flower are you going to put in your vase today?" she beamed. Mrs Ko was perpetually a jolly shopkeeper. She knew how to entertain customers and attract eyes.

"I'm not really sure," maundered Ju Ho, a shy smile lingering on his lips. "You're the best when it comes to choosing flowers. I give it up to you today."

"That necklace suits you, kid," accoladed Mrs Ko as she eyed the string of pearls resting on his neck. "You should wear it more often."

Ju Ho muttered a soft 'thank you' to show his gratitude as Mrs Ko turned around to pick a bunch of white flowers.

"You should take this today. Quite fresh, I must say. It's pocket friendly too." the lady displayed a handful of Jasmine sticks infront of his eyes.

Ju Ho couldn't help but admire the small tubes of flowers and the intoxicating  scent that they emitted. He agreed to take them back with him and payed what he owed to Mrs Ko.

Ju Ho sashayed out of the store, his hands holding the freshly bloomed flowers delicately. Feeling something moist on his cheeks, he looked at the sky. Somehow, within the time he had spent at the flower shop, the sky had taken the pleasure to get overcast with grey rumbling clouds.

"Oh shit, I don't have any umbrella with me today." he regretted in his mind. There was no way he wouldn't get soaked, by the time he would reach the bakery. He took hurried steps as the rain started to take on a rapid speed with every passing second.

When he finally got back to his place, his shirt was almost transparent. Like a rain soaked crow, he halted infront of the gate.

A big truck stood infront of the building, almost obstructing his way to his bakery and residence. The two men whom he spotted climbing the staircase to the first floor, were evidently struggling to carry two huge boxes in their hands.

A lady stood beside the truck, clad in a black leather coat and jeans. Her back was facing him so he couldn't really spot her face. He stared at her long slender hand holding a huge umbrella firmly over her head. It must be the new tenant who was moving in that day. She must be moving in alone since there was no other living being standing along with her.

Ju Ho cleared his throat loudly to gain the attention of the woman infront of him. There was a keen interest that had built up within him to see her face. It wouldn't hurt to get to know his neighbour.

The mass of straight jet hair moved harshly against the fabric of the coat as the woman turned around to face him.

Ju Ho's eyes met with a pair of stoic hazel orbs staring right at him. Or more particularly, his damp lavender bangs sticking to his forehead.

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[Word Count : 1804]