The Winter of the Pandemic.
Historians will one day view this season as one of the worst in modern history. Every country in the world was affected by the Pandemic. There wasn't a single exception. Thousands of businesses were closed, hundreds of thousands of jobs were lost and most importantly…
Millions of lives were lost.
This winter was probably the worst one in recent memory. People were forced to stay home, far away from their loved ones. Lockdowns became the norm as the population soon forgot the warmth of human touch.
It was a darkness that was impossible to forget.
But where there was darkness, there will be light.
As winter came to a close, the number of infected had gradually declined. The lockdowns had worked! The daily infection rate had decreased to double digits, and barely anyone passed away from the virus.
With all of these positive results, our country gradually opened up. People were allowed to enter restaurants and attend social gatherings, as long as they socially distanced and wore masks. However, to keep our infection rate low, the government has yet to open the borders. Although our country's infection rate remains low, the same couldn't be said about other countries.
So as regrettable as it was, citizens living outside the country were still barred from returning.
Still, the fact that our country was slowly recovering was undeniable. Many took that as a celebration, and thus when the first week of Spring arrived…
"Take us to Harrison Park, please."
"Harrison Park? Okay!"
As Althea and I settled down in the taxi we've called, I mentioned our destination to the driver seated right before me. I wasn't really a fan of using public transport, particularly during this period where the number of commuters were now record high.
Even though the government had put measures to ensure that people socially distance themselves, one couldn't be too careful. Furthermore, our destination was quite cumbersome to get to, given that it was at least an hour to an hour and a half away with trains and buses.
Also, there was one vital reason why I chose to travel by car rather than train...
"We're finally going flower viewing! Somehow, it feels like a dream."
"What? The fact that we're going out in the open?"
"Yeah, how long has it been since we've been to a park?"
"There's one at our doorstep, you know?"
"That doesn't count!"
I chuckled as I peeked down at Althea's gorgeous dress. Although I've seen it once before, I couldn't help but marvel at her new outfit. The A-Line white chiffon dress had made its comeback, this time with a perfectly placed leather belt to support her waist. It gave the dress a tighter look, which couldn't be found if Althea wore it normally. Also, just in case it got too chilly, Althea brought a tight-fitting cardigan to cover her frail upper body.
But that wasn't the end of it. Althea added braided, woven straw sandals to her new look, plus an uptown chain wallet bag that dazzled with the colours of Spring. She also had her ivory sunhat resting on her lap with her luxury sunglasses, just in case the dazzling rays of the Sun got too bright.
If clothes gave stats like in games, Althea's complete set-up would have given her +999 charm.
And with that amount of charm… There was no way that I was allowing her to step foot on a bustling train. God knows what would happen if a bunch of thirsty guys got attracted to the girl like moths to a lamp.
"I can't wait to show Sienna my new dress! She's been looking forward to this day for quite some time now."
"Oh? Have you been messaging her frequently?"
"Almost every day."
"Every day?!"
Now that's something I didn't want to hear. Who would have expected that Althea and Sienna would hit it off this much? I could understand if they talked on occasion, but every day? What on Earth could they be talking about?
"That's… a surprise… What do you guys talk about?"
"Mostly fashion and dramas," Althea replied nonchalantly. "Surprisingly, we share quite a lot of similar interests."
"Oh, I see..."
Well, it seems like there's nothing harmless about their discussions. Maybe I'm overreacting, and they're just good friends who have bonded-...
"Ah, but recently, Sienna has been talking about your days in university. Hehe, to think that I am sitting next to the Kofuku University's record holder of eating the most chicken nuggets in a minute! I'm honoured to be in your presence! I can't say the same for all the chickens you ate, though."
SIENNA!!! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TELLING HER?!
For the rest of the ride, I tried to brainwash Althea into forgetting that embarrassing incident. It was a black stain during my first year in university, back when I was still severely overweight. And to think that I used to be proud about that title…
Alas, it was all in vain. No matter how much I tried, Althea continued to tease me about that incident, and before we knew it, the taxi came to a stop.
"We're here," the cab driver said through the plastic divider.
"Thank you!"
Althea chuckled and quickly opened the door from her side. Since we'd booked the taxi through an online application, there was no need for us to exchange cash. So, we promptly left the car and walked over to the park's entrance. And as we'd anticipated...
"Ah, they're here! Desir! Althea! We're here!"
Sienna noticed us and waved to get our attention. Honestly, she didn't have to be that conspicuous. Even without calling us out, we could see her from a mile away.
Donned in a tight long-sleeved, blue crop top that showed her navel, Sienna was already the centre of attention. Her hourglass waist that seemed to lack a single pound extra was in full view, even though it was literally the first week of Spring. Her amber hair was greatly contrasted by the white baseball cap that seemed to have precious gems blinking in the Sun.
If Althea went for a conservative, angelic look, Sienna went for a more impish route. Calling her a seductress would be a stretch, but there was no doubt that half of the men present were stealing glances at her.
The same could be said about Len.
To complement Sienna's trendy, outdoor style, Len wore a white shirt with a Japanese-style, long cardigan. His long burgundy pants covered his model legs while tight-fitting beige sneakers coated his feet.
It was a simple combination, but Len's striking good looks made him the star of the show. Just as guys were ogling at Sienna, girls were also darting their eyes at the young Adonis.
Somehow… I didn't want to acknowledge their existence. I wasn't used to an ocean of eyes gawking us down.
"You're late!"
"... Didn't we agree to meet at nine-thirty?"
"Yes, and what's the time now?"
I glanced at my watch and sighed: "... We're just off by two minutes."
"Late is late, Desir."
"Tell that to your boyfriend. Do you know how many times I've been burned by his 'punctuality?'"
Sienna frowned for a moment but was unable to keep a straight face. In the end, both Sienna and I burst out laughing.
"Haha, you're right! I guess I could forgive you this once!"
"Hey… Why did you have to drag me under the bus, man?"
Len protested in a hapless tone. Sorry dude, that's the best way to control your girlfriend.
Now that we'd met up, the four of us walked into Harrison Park with all our gear in tow. Harrison Park wasn't a huge place, neither was it the most famous garden for flower viewing. But it was one of the best-looking destinations for the first week of Spring.
Gorgeous plum and cherry blossoms bloomed all throughout the small park. Rich floral aromas filled the air as a mixture of Hyacinths and Tulips crowded the garden bushes. The sweet call of birds whistled in the backdrop, really making it hit home that Spring had arrived.
Harrison Park wasn't the best place in the country to welcome the season of harvest, but it was good enough for us.
Due to the Pandemic, we weren't allowed to overly congest the area. So, the park management had come up with a brilliant system. All visitors had to 'rent' a space for a few hours at a time. Our booking started at ten, so we currently had plenty of time to kill.
"Desir, you bought new clothes?"
"... You've noticed?"
"How could I have not?! I know all of your clothes since you've never changed your wardrobe for the past three years!"
Tsk… This is the problem with friends that you've known forever… He could even notice something as minute as this. I was wearing the black and white striped shirt that Althea had picked out for me. Like Len mentioned, I didn't really care about my wardrobe. But since Althea had gone out of her way to choose this outfit for me, it would be a shame not to wear it.
"Yeah, I'd thought I would do some Spring cleaning since I had time. Buying new clothes is just a consequence of that."
"Realy?" Being my longtime friend, Len could smell something fishy about my words. After all, I wasn't that good of a liar.
"Well, you look good in that. You should buy more clothes like that. It really suits your style."
"Duly noted."
Althea and Sienna were off in their own worlds, complementing each other's outfit with gorgeous smiles. Good… If Althea were to join the conversation, we would have to talk about our little outing, and things could get awkward from there.
Thirty minutes passed in a flash, and the three of us were finally allowed to settle down at our picnic location. Placing down the picnic mat, I quickly assembled all of our little flower viewing session necessities.
I'd made rice balls and a simple potato salad for our brunch. Also, I specially brewed chilled tea that was both refreshing and delicious. Len and Sienna brought some sandwiches as well, ensuring that none of us would starve as we meditated under the flowers.
"All done!"
"Alright, let's dig in!"
Althea tucked her skirt in and rested herself right beside me. Opposite us, Sienna did the same with Len. I poured the tea into the disposable cups while Althea distributed the food equally amongst the four of us.
"... Desir, did your cooking improve again?" Len remarked as he took a single bite from my rice ball. "How could you make a rice ball taste so delicious? Isn't it just rice and some condiments?"
"If you think that, it's no surprise that your sandwiches taste this bland."
"H-Hey! I really tried to make that egg mayo work!"
"Hehe, I'm joking! Your sandwiches aren't half bad."
I was telling the truth. Len had little to no prior experience when it came to cooking. The fact that he could make an edible sandwich even came as a shock to me. Of course, it lacked a little flavour, but I couldn't fault him for the texture of the egg mayo.
"Hah… If only Len's cooking is half as good as yours, Desir."
"Babe! I'm right here!"
"Althea… You must feel blessed. To be able to eat this delicious cooking every day."
"H-Huh? Y-Yeah..." Althea looked down at the rice ball in her hands and smiled. She then looked up to me and said with a sincere heart: "I'm really blessed."