redtulips

Warning: slight mention of family and/or relationship issues and death.

“Excuse me, is this seat taken?”

Cher tilted his head to the side and found a man with his formal suit standing there with a polite smile. He immediately nodded his head as he moved a little to give him more spaces to sit. “No, you can sit here!”

The man slightly bowed his head and hummed a soft thank you before sitting beside Cher. Cher guessed that this man is probably older than him, judging from his appearance. He also looked very decent, probably working as a businessman or something.

Cher slightly patted his own forehead to chase away his thoughts about the man beside him. He shouldn't think and judge a stranger that he just met like that. It would be embarrassing if he had some kind of mind-reading power, Cher thought.

It was 3 p.m in Friday, the weather was kind of hot and Cher had to sit on a bench outside the daycare building, waiting for his little son to finish his activities there. Fortunately, there are a lot of big trees and some plants outside the building, so the sun didn't bother him that much.

After the brief conversation between him and the man with the suit, there was silence and personally, Cher found it awkward. Usually, Cher would talk to whoever sitting around him and approach them to form a friendly bond, especially in this daycare. He has to befriend almost all the parents to make things easier, just in case something happens and they need each other's help.

However, by the time Cher's eyes met with that man's earlier, he suddenly became an awkward coward. He didn't want to look like a fool by having a conversation with a decent person that he just met. Come to think of it, Cher never met this man before and he kept trying to guess which one is his child, because Cher couldn't recall his memory of meeting this man in the daycare before. He was curious about it and wanted to ask, but once again, he was such a coward that time.

It was a win for him as if God answered his prayer one minute later, the daycare bell rang—a sign that their activities should be over by now and they could come outside to meet their parents. Cher was excited as a smile bloomed in his face. He couldn't wait to see his little son and listen to his stories about his day.

Cher immediately stood up and widened his arms as he saw Archie, his son came from inside the building with his little yellow backpack while holding a little girl's hand. Within a glance, Cher recognized that she is one of Archie's best friends. So, he swung his arms to grab their attention while calling their names.

“Archie, Ella, I'm here!”

Both of them looked at Cher before they ran towards him with little jumps. Cher almost followed them to jump in excitement, but then he realized that the man that was sitting beside him earlier was now standing beside him.

“Pardon, do you know—”

Cher looked at the man as he wanted to say something, but was suddenly interrupted by Archie who jumped to him and he had no choice but to carry his son before he lost his balance. He poked Archie's cheeks before landing a kiss on top of his head before he tried to switch his attention to Ella who walked along with Archie earlier.

“Hi, Ella—”

“Daddy?! Daddy is here!”

Cher widened his eyes as he immediately looked to his right, and found Ella jumped into the man's arms as he easily carried her. He just knew that the man who sat and stood beside him for ten minutes was Ella's father. Honestly, though, he never saw Ella's parents before as usually, it was her grandma who picked her up from the daycare.

“Oh God. I'm sorry, I don't know that you're Ella's father. I've never seen you before.” Cher slightly bowed to him as a form of apology.

The man pulled a little smile while nodding his head and bowed to him as well. “No worries. I was about to ask you earlier, but the kids are here and yelling at us already,” he caressed Ella's back as the girl was leaning on his father's shoulder. “Ella often told me about her best friend, Archie. Is he your little brother?”

Cher slightly widened his mouth in disbelief before he chuckled. “No, no. I'm actually Archie's father. My name is Cher. It's nice to meet you here!”

The man couldn't believe him while looking at his own daughter. Like they could read each other's minds, Ella nodded his head to convince his father that Cher is her best friend's father.

“I apologize. I thought you were his brother. You look so young,” he giggled awkwardly, probably embarrassed because he got the wrong idea. “My name is Gungawin. I'm Ella's father. You might haven't seen me before. Usually, it's her grandma who picks her up. But, my mother was out of town for a week, so I had to pick her up by myself.”

Cher nodded his head, signaling that he understood the situation before he asked Ella for a high-five. Ella immediately reached Cher's hand and did a high-five with him.

“I usually take them to buy ice cream or cookies there while waiting for Ella's grandma. Archie and her are very close, but it's my bad that I didn't recognize you as his father,” Cher smiled at Gungawin.

“Papa, can I play swings with Ella for ten more minutes, please?” Archie asked, and Ella did the same to his father as well. Cher laughed and put his son down while taking his backpack and holding it, followed by Gungawin who did the same and holding Ella's blue backpack.

They immediately jumped in excitement and Cher had to remind them to not run towards the playground, but they didn't want to listen anyway. So, Cher patted his own forehead and shook his head.

“I'm glad that Ella has a best friend here. Thank you for taking care of her while you're here, too.” Gungawin said as he watched over his own daughter and Cher's son in the playground. “I was so busy with my work that I barely had time for her. I worried that she didn't make friends, but she often talked about how kind and funny Archie is.”

Cher giggled, feeling proud of his little son who grew up to be a playful and kind boy. “I'm happy that they get along well. Don't worry! I can help to drop her off to you if you're unable to pick her up someday. I'm not too busy because I work from home.”

Gungawin smiled before he cleared up his throat and asked, “I'm sorry if it sounds ridiculous or impolite, but I really thought that you're Archie's big brother. How old are you?”

“It's okay! A lot of parents here thought the same as you. I'm 23 years old.” Cher looked at Gungawin, did a quick glance to see his reaction. “I'm Archie's adoptive father, actually. His biological parents were my friends. They passed away when Archie was one year old because of an accident. They don't have any close relatives that can take care of him, and he's already like my own child, so he's now my little son.”

There was a brief silence after Cher finished his story. Gungawin was a little bit regretting his decision to ask about Cher's age as it might sound like he was too nosy about Cher and Archie. “I'm so sorry for that and I'm sorry for asking you that. Archie is so lucky to have you as his father.”

Cher chuckled and showed him two thumbs up. “Don't be sorry about that! I chose to tell you this, because Ella is Archie's best friend and automatically, you'll soon become my best friend, too,” he said jokingly and Gungawin laughed about it. “It feels like Archie was the one who adopted me because he changed my world for the better although you can say that I'm a single father. I'm so lucky to have him.”

“Anyway, how about you?”

Gungawin loosened up his tie a little before looking at Cher and hummed softly. “I'm five years older than you and currently handling my own company,” he tried to say it as politely as possible, so that he didn't sound like flexing himself in front of his possible new parent friend. “Ella's mother left us ever since she was still a baby. Nobody knew what the reason was, but I kept trying to take care of her even without a mother figure. It was hard for me, but Ella is the one who gives me the strength.”

It was now Cher's turn to regret his decision to ask back about Gungawin and Ella. But, before he said something, Gungawin told him that it was fine and he was glad to tell him about this because he felt like they could trust each other since they both shared quite the same stories of being single fathers.

Cher looked at his watch before he gasped and immediately looked at Gungawin. “I'm sorry, but I just remember that I have an online meeting at 4 p.m. If you may excuse me.”

“Oh, no problem! You should hurry now, you still have time. I'll also head home with Ella after this.” Gungawin made a gesture with his arm to let Cher walk towards the playground first, but then he stopped him for a moment. “If you don't mind, may I have your contact in case I need your help?”

Cher, who was a half way through the playground, slightly turned around and smiled while nodding his head. “Of course!”

Gungawin swore it was the prettiest and brightest smile that he had ever seen in his life beside his daughter's smile.

greatesturn, 2023

TW: blood, knife, and death. Please, be wise—the following content below may cause discomfort, read again the trigger warnings and proceed to read it at your own risk.

Since the first time they met, Top has always thought that Mew reminds him of a rose. It is one of the most famous flowers that people choose to express their feelings, not just for love confessions. Among the various colors of roses, Top sees Mew as a red rose, symbolizing love, beauty, and seduction.

Mew is beautiful and breathtakingly pretty. One of the reasons why Top decided to get down on his knees and ask him to be his boyfriend was because of this. It happened only a week after they first met. Top was afraid that someone would fall deeply for Mew's beauty and snatch him away. Top was accustomed to getting whatever he desired, including Mew. He wouldn't allow anyone to lay a finger on what he claimed as his.

Being renowned as the number one playboy in their university, Top believed that falling in love would be a hard task. However, within just three days of officially being together, Top found himself falling in love with Mew. It was the way he talked, the way he behaved—it felt like a magical enchantment.

Then came the time of their first kiss—actually not Top's first experience, yet it held a different sensation. Top fell even deeper. As their gazes locked, Top found himself entrapped within Mew's twinkling, deep eyes like stars in the middle of ocean. Mew was captivating, almost like a being from another realm. When their lips finally met, Top felt as if they melted into an alternate reality. Mew's little whimper became a beautiful melody, a symphony to his ears. Mew was an irresistible temptation.

Among all the traits associated with roses, Top overlooked the fact that roses are perhaps one of the most overrated flowers. He used to believe that while roses are beautiful, they are also boring. The allure of their beauty, love, and seduction would eventually fade away within a short span of time, just like any other flower.

This realization made Top ponder about the progression of their relationship. He couldn't help but wonder where it would lead. One of his friends suggested that he should do what he usually had done—dump his lover when boredom set in.

So, one night, he decided to invite Mew to a fancy dinner, picking him up in his luxury car. Mew's excitement was evident, his eyes sparkling as if they held all the stars within. In that moment, Top felt a pang of guilt. His heart still beat for his beloved rose, but he didn't want to curb his ego. The devil inside him always triumphed, scheming on how he would comfort Mew once he heard that Top wanted to end their relationship in less than three months—ironically, it was the longest committed relationship he had ever experienced.

“A bouquet of roses for my little rose,” Top handed Mew a bouquet of roses as they took their seats at the secluded table. It was an exclusive setting, away from the crowd, with only the two of them present.

Mew let out an audible gasp as he embraced the bouquet, inhaling the fragrant scent of the roses. “These are so beautiful! Thank you,” he exclaimed, flashing a smile that locked his gaze with Top's. Once again, Top found himself almost getting lost in Mew's sparkling yet profound eyes. They were truly enchanting.

The devil inside Top eagerly wondered if those captivating eyes would become even more alluring when filled with tears or if they would appear miserable. No one could fathom the number of times Top had succumbed to the whispers of the devil within. Without waiting for their meals to arrive, Top cleared his throat, coughing, as he tightly held Mew's hands.

“I know this is too sudden for you. I love you, I really do. You're my little rose, the most beautiful person that I've ever met,” a little pause as Top realized that Mew never stopped smiling and it made him even more guilty. “I have to tell you something. I know that it will ruin our night, but you have to promise me—whatever happens, I will never leave you, okay? I will always be around you.”

Mew's smile slowly faded as his face turned into full of worry. He asked why and what happened through his gaze, demanding for further explanation as the hold on his hands got tighter.

“I don't know where this relationship wants to take us. I've been thinking about this recently and I'm afraid that it will hurt your feelings. It's better now or never,” Top rubbed Mew's hands softly. “I'm really sorry, but we're over now.”

“W-what?”

Without any cues, tears began streaming down Mew's face. His expression shifted to one of confusion, pain, and disbelief all at once. He attempted to comprehend every word spoken by Top, but his mind went blank, leaving him unable to respond except through tears. It felt as if the sky had collapsed and a sharp object had pierced his heart.

Top rose from his seat and approached Mew, enveloping him in a tight embrace. Inside Top, a battle raged between the devil and the angel, debating whether he should retract his words and mend the relationship before it was too late, or whether he should revel in the sight of Mew's tear-stained beauty. He expected Mew to resist the embrace, but instead, it tightened, as if seeking solace and comfort.

It grew increasingly warm, and Top contemplated retracting his words. However, as the minutes ticked by, the warmth transformed into a suffocating sensation.

“Little rose, can you please give me some space?”

Rather than loosening, the hug only grew tighter, making it difficult for Top to breathe. He began tapping Mew's waist repeatedly, attempting to free himself from the embrace, but his efforts proved futile. Frustration boiled within him, and a few curses slipped past his lips as Mew stubbornly refused to release his grip.

“Fuck, Mew. Let me go.”

“I remember the reason why you call me little rose. It was because I reminded you of roses, right? They are pretty and you fell in love with me just like how roses used to represent love, right?” Still crying, Mew’s voice trembled as he ignored how Top almost suffocated. “But, I also know that you think roses are boring because they are overrated. People used them a little too much, it made you want to puke.”

The sound of crying gradually transformed into laughter, sending shivers down Top's spine. His eyes widened in horror as he listened to Mew's peculiar laughter. Despite his struggle to break free from the suffocating hug, Mew's laughter grew louder, echoing right beside Top's ears, a sound that seemed capable of making them bleed. Just as Top was on the verge of giving up, the hug finally began to loosen its grip. Gasping for air desperately, Top greedily inhaled, his eyes shut tightly as his head spun.

When he opened his eyes, he tried to gaze at Mew, demanding an explanation for why he had been subjected to such a suffocating hug. Before he could even utter a single word or pose the countless questions swirling in his mind, time abruptly seemed to freeze.

Top's gaze fell downward, and he discovered a sharp knife piercing his chest, directly into his heart. In a desperate attempt to save himself, he instinctively grabbed Mew's wrist. Mew tilted his head, staring at Top with a smile identical to the one he had worn when accepting Top's proposal. With relentless determination, Mew continued to press the knife deeper, causing Top's breath to dwindle with each passing second.

“You always believed you could possess every flower, playing with them as soon as they bloomed and throw them away once they wilted,” Mew uttered slowly, withdrawing the knife while a stream of blood cascaded forth, staining the expensive suit in a sinister shade of dark red.

In an instant, Top's body plummeted to the ground, and blood splattered everywhere. Mew knelt down, lowering his body to reach the dying man's lips, sharing a final kiss as he sensed Top's breath growing faint. Top strained to reach out for Mew's arms, but he was rapidly running out of breath. As his life flashed before his eyes, Mew's soft whisper pulled him back to reality.

“Baby, you chose the wrong flower. You forgot that roses possess thorns. Your little rose has a thousand thorns. They can stab you whenever they please.”

With Mew's last words, everything faded to darkness. Top's lifeless body lay on the ground, drenched in his own blood, as his heart ceased its beat.

©greatesturn, 2023

“Lo tuh nggak bisa ya, sehari aja nggak cari masalah sama Aci?”

Jirat mengangkat bahu acuh tak acuh ketika Thara menghampirinya di balkon dan melontarkan pertanyaan dengan suara yang pelan, takut terdengar hingga dalam ruangan. Lelaki yang hari-harinya dihabiskan untuk menekan tuts keyboard itu menghela napas panjang ketika melihat sepiring nasi goreng tanpa sayur milik Jirat masih tersisa setengah.

Suasana di dalam ruangan saat ini ribut, dipenuhi dengan ocehan Thana dan Pusit yang bersahut-sahutan. Satu-satunya cara untuk memecah keheningan yang tercipta semenjak Jirat memutuskan untuk mengirim pesan di ruang obrolan mereka ketika Jimmy, sang manajer, bertanya tentang pesanan nasi goreng.

Setengah jam yang lalu, Jimmy datang membawa nasi goreng, Ia langsung mendorong tubuh Jirat ke arah balkon, diikuti oleh Thara dan Pusit setelahnya. Setelah manajernya itu pergi, mereka menghabiskan makanan tanpa suara. Aci diam seribu bahasa dan ekspresi kesalnya tidak dapat disembunyikan.

Terima kasih untuk Thara dan Pusit yang punya seribu satu cara untuk membuat keadaan menjadi lebih baik, maka mereka memutuskan untuk kembali ke dalam setelah nasi goreng di piring mereka habis. Namun, Thara memutuskan untuk menyusul Jirat lagi karena Ia tidak ingin jika Jirat merasa dipojokkan.

Walaupun, memang semua ini terjadi sebab kesalahannya sendiri.

“Kak, gue serius nanya, deh. Lo tuh sebenernya masih suka sama Kak Aci apa gimana?” Thara menoleh ke arah Jirat yang kini tengah sibuk menatap gedung-gedung tinggi yang berada dalam jangkauan pandangannya. “Hobi banget bikin Kak Aci emosi. Give him a break, lah. Lo nggak takut dilempar gitar sama dia?”

Jirat tertawa pelan ketika mendengar perkataan Thara. Mencoba untuk memutar ingatannya tentang alasan mengapa Ia terus-menerus dengan sengaja membuat Aci kesal. Hasilnya, tidak ada. Tidak ada alasan baru tentang mengapa Jirat selalu sengaja membuat Aci kesal.

“Gue juga nggak tau, Thar,” balas Jirat sebelum meneguk air mineralnya yang tersisa setengah gelas sampai habis. “Kebiasaan lama susah hilang kayaknya. Gue cuman pengen temenan lagi sama Aci kayak dulu, tapi dia seolah-olah menganggap gue sebagai musuh.”

Thara menyandarkan punggungnya di teralis balkon seraya melihat ke arah dalam, diam-diam tersenyum ketika melihat Thana berhasil membuat Aci tertawa. Tolong ingatkan Thara untuk memberikan pacarnya itu kecupan manis di pipi nanti.

“Lo sendiri yang minta Kak Aci pergi dari hidup lo, tapi kenapa seolah-olah sekarang lo berusaha buat tarik dia lagi buat balik?” Tanya Thara dengan nada pelan, tanpa bermaksud untuk memojokkan lawan bicaranya.

Lagi-lagi, Jirat tertawa pelan. Sedikit hanyut dengan pikirannya, memikirkan jawaban untuk segala macam pertanyaan yang dilontarkan Thara. “Gue cuman pengen punya hubungan yang baik sama Aci kayak dulu, gitu aja. We both agreed that there would be no hard feelings between us after the break-up.”

Thara menepuk dahinya dengan dramatis ketika mendengarkan jawaban Jirat. Lelaki itu selalu jujur dan apa adanya, tidak pernah berusaha untuk menyembunyikan atau melebih-lebihkan sesuatu, sangat kontras dengan Aci yang memilih untuk tidak mengatakan apapun tentang isi hatinya.

“Kak, nggak semua orang punya pemikiran yang sama kayak lo,” ucap Thara sebelum membalikkan tubuhnya untuk turut menyaksikan cahaya-cahaya yang datang dari bangunan-bangunan di dalam jangkauan pandang mereka. “Kak Aci, lukanya belum sembuh. Semakin lo cari masalah sama dia, walaupun maksudnya cuman bercanda, semakin susah dia buat sembuh dari lukanya itu.”

“Luka gue juga belum sepenuhnya sembuh, Thara.”

“Terus, lo sengaja gangguin Kak Aci supaya dia juga gak bisa sembuh dari lukanya? Itu alasan lo buat terus-terusan muncul di kehidupan dia karena lo takut dia ikhlas duluan?”

Kemudian hening menyelimuti mereka dan percakapan antara Jirat dan Thara malam itu berhenti tanpa adanya jawaban yang pasti.

©greatesturn, 2023.

“Hehe.”

“Bisa diam, nggak?” Book mengangkat tangan kanannya, menunjukkan gestur ingin melayangkan sebuah pukulan di wajah lelaki yang berada di hadapannya—yang tengah tertawa seperti tanpa dosa.

Bungkusan kecil yang sedari tadi berada di dalam genggaman Book kini berpindah di sebelah Force, sengaja dilempar meleset karena sebenarnya, Book masih punya hati untuk tidak menambah memar di tubuh kekasihnya itu.

“Mana, katanya cuman dikit?!” Book berseru ketika Ia melangkah mendekat dan menyadari memar biru keunguan di sudut bibir lelaki yang tubuhnya tampak lebih besar dibandingkan dengan dirinya.

Senyum lebar tanpa dosa itu masih setia bertengger di wajah Force sementara Book sibuk mengomel setiap kali sepasang matanya menangkap memar yang terdapat di tubuh Force. Pada detik selanjutnya, Ia menghela napas dengan panjang seraya memejamkan matanya, berusaha untuk mengumpulkan kewarasan yang masih tersisa sebelum kemarahannya meledak dan Ia akan benar-benar melayangkan sebuah pukulan di wajah Force.

“Kamu tuh kenapa, ya,” gumam Book seraya duduk di sebelah Force. Dahinya mengerut dan alisnya menukik tajam sementara bibirnya maju satu senti, tidak berusaha sedikitpun untuk menyembunyikan wajah marahnya. “Selalu aja sok jagoan.”

“Loh, aku memang jagoan.”

Satu lapis kesabaran Book habis, Ia membawa jari telunjuknya untuk menekan memar di lengan Force dan membuat lelaki itu mengaduh kesakitan karena kekasihnya tidak main-main. Nyaris mengumpat, tetapi akhirnya memutuskan untuk merengek manja seolah meminta pengampunan.

“Malas, deh, aku ngomong sama kamu.” Bibirnya melengkung ke bawah dan punggungnya disandarkan ke sofa. Sesekali melirik Force yang masih menunjukkan wajah tanpa dosa, kali ini ditambah dengan wajah penuh permohonan ampun.

Namun, pada detik selanjutnya, perbuatan Book berbanding terbalik dengan ekspresi wajah dan apa yang diucapkannya barusan. Sepasang lengannya melingkar di pinggang Force dan dahinya disandarkan pada bahu lelaki itu.

Force diam-diam tersenyum menang, seratus persen tahu jika Book tidak akan pernah benar-benar marah dengannya. Tangannya bergerak untuk mengelus helaian rambut Book dengan lembut sebelum Ia berkata, “Sekarang aku 'kan nggak kenapa-kenapa.”

“It was very dangerous, you could get hurt!”

“Iya, sayang, iya. Maaf, ya? Janji nggak akan diulangi lagi.”

Force tertawa ketika merasakan pelukan di pinggangnya mengerat dan Book menyembunyikan wajahnya di balik bahu Force. Dipanggil dengan lembut seperti itu merupakan kelemahan terbesarnya. Walaupun sudah tidak terhitung berapa kali Force melempar perkataan manis dengan suara yang terdengar lembut, sikap salah tingkah Book juga tidak dapat terhitung alias tidak pernah hilang.

“Udah diobatin, belum?”

“Sudah, sayang,” Force menyahut bersamaan dengan senyum yang mengemb