« trauma. » update!!

“AH!”.

A deep growl could be heard in the distance, freezing the blood pumping in my system like crazy.

I naturally turned around, scared to face the source of those laments. My heart sank to my stomach.

“Eun Jiwon fell! Help! Anyone!”. Hyuk knelt down to check on him and shouted in his in-ear for help.

It seemed as if my body moved before I could even think.

“Where are you going? The finish line is the other way!”.

“Sorry, I’m not one to leave people behind, unlike others”, I threw Min a provoking look as I ran past him in the opposite direction.

“Is he okay?”, I carefully approached the scene of the commotion.

“He probably strained his knee when he jumped from the platform, the paramedics will take a while to come”, Hyuk explained. “Wait! What are you doing here?”, Hyuk inquired, throwing me a puzzled look, “Wouldn’t Min need you to cross the finish line?”, he then asked.

“He’s actually… the X-Man. He doesn’t need me to win anymore”.

Hyuk’s eyes widened, “So…Wait! He’s the X-Man?”. He suddenly stood up, “Sandara-noona stay here with him, I have to do something first”. And without further explanation, he started running until he disappeared further down the path towards the finish line.

“If only I didn’t fall all over you earlier…”, I blurted out faintly.

“Stop”.

“But! It’s probably my fault If you’re hurt”.

“Stop being sorry again, there’s no reason to. I just have old bones. Maybe I should just retire”, He chuckled as the pain he hid took the form of tears gathering up at the corners of his eyes.

He was on the ground, holding his knee in utmost pain and yet, when I expected to be cursed at, he was instead reassuring me again.

“Why did you come back? You wanted to win the prize so badly, didn’t you?”.

“Your health and safety are far more important than a trip, don’t you think? We’re partners now”, I beamed a smile at him with sincerity.

“Partners…”, he repeated, his tone softening even more.

“And besides…I’m Sandara Park, it’s not like I can’t afford limited edition shoes or trips, right?”. The unexpected boasting on my part won another hearty chuckle out of him, one good enough to expose his adorable ‘bunny’ teeth. Perhaps making him laugh could distract him from his pain, even if for a little while only.

“Hopefully It’s nothing serious. There are so many activities ahead of us. People’s jobs are on the line and it’s my responsibility to do my part, you know?”.

It was refreshing to listen to Jiwon voicing his worries with such honesty. Like an episode that happens once in a thousand years. People who knew him well would describe him as cool, reserved, never showing his true thoughts and concerns. But I took that moment to my heart. He proved again how more thoughtful than the tv shows he appeared on led people to believe.

Someone who seemed to crave victory more than me was surely Hyuk.

He ran as if his life depended on it. Or perhaps he just hated the idea of losing to Min.

Not a lot of meters separating the two from the finish line, Hyuk caught his chance and tackled Min.

“What are you doing? You can’t win without Jiwon”, he whined as he struggled to get out of the headlock before taking the last three strides towards victory.

The curly haired actor finally managed to push Hyuk out of his way and took the last step needed to win.

“Min crossed the finish line!”.

He raised his hand to the sky, celebrating his hard earned victory.

Goeun and Jongwon soon arrived too, winning the second spot.

“Oh? What’s the matter?”, MC Sook listened carefully to the staff communicating via the headphone in her in-ear.

Hyuk grinned despite the apparent loss.

“It seems like something very crucial happened in the last split seconds before Min crossed the line”, Sook continued.

A video proof rewinded to the very brief moment Hyuk made contact with his friend.

“See, when Min found his X-man card, Hyuk found another. The bomb card!”.

“Eh? What’s that all about?”.

“The bomb card gives the one who discovers it the mission to stop the X-Man!”, MC Jaesook concluded.

Min reached his arms all the way to his back, patting resteleslly until he found it. The bomb sticker.

“So Min, unfortunately, got disqualified from the race a few seconds before he crossed the line. Hyuk crossed it right after him but without Jiwon the win doesn’t count… which leaves us Team Goeun-Jongwon, congratulations! You’re both winners of the race”

“W-what?”, Jongwon turned his head towards his teammate.

Goeun shook him by the shoulders, “Cheer up! We won!”.

“This race has been constellated with betrayals, twists and turns! But Goeun and Jongwon never faltered. They worked together and never doubted one another. Their sportsmanship really shined through when they gave a hand to Dara, another competitor. Congratulations on your win!”, Jaesook announced the great closing statement.

The medical staff soon arrived to the site where Jiwon fell.

“He just sprained his knee, it’s not too alarming but he shouldn’t put stress on it in the meantime. The recovery period may go from 1 to 2 weeks, depending on how well he rests”, the paramedic poked Jiwon’s knee in various points, earning some painful grunts from him.

“That’s a relief, gladly you won’t have to dance a lot for this promotion”. His manager, Dohyun, took a sigh of relief as he patted his precious client’s back.

Like a dog with his tail between his legs, Min staggered around at loss.

To protect his image, Min’s manager begged the writers to cut the conversation we had on the boat from the final episode. Staff members who had been monitoring the show looked at him in scorn, starting a chain of whispering and voices.

“Didn’t he throw Sandara Park out of the boat?”.

“Despicable”.

“He sure looks like a prince but acts slimy, don’t you think?”.

Served him well, he now knew how it felt to be talked behind your back.                                                                                                                                                                                      

It sucks.

“Thank you for taking care of me”, I spoke to Jiwon as he got in his manager’s car.

“You did great and thanks for staying with me back there. Take care!”, he then rolled the window up but not before shooting me with a shy smile.

And with that, the shooting of Ace Runner came to an end.

[DAY 2 OF M/V SHOOTING]

“Action!”.

Jiwon looked so intensely right into the brown of my orbs, he could’ve melted inside of them. He then gently caressed my reddened cheeks, diminishing the space between us more and more dangerously, sending bolts all throughout my body.

Each and every breath tickled my skin.

“CUT! Okay!”. The director shouted with all his might, finally satisfied with the material he was yearning for.

Jiwon distanced himself to touch up his hair. I wondered how could he keep his cool so well, unlike me.

My acting portfolio wasn’t short of romantic scenes with other actors, but no matter how much I borrowed from my professional actress persona, I just couldn’t help but squirm inside. A part of me wished the director wouldn’t say ‘cut’ so soon.

“I see sparks flying! Great job! Let’s move on to the next scene!”.

[THAT EVENING]

[Come see me]

“Is he drunk-texting me again?” It’s only 10PM”, I heaved a deep sigh as I placed back the phone on the coffee table.

In my heart, I hoped Jiyong would stop looking for my attention when he sensed I finally had gotten over him. I had learned the hard way not to be swayed by him whenever he felt lonely.

It was unfair to play with my feelings like that.

He was the origin of my unfortunate love life.

Like a curse, I never once experienced a serious romance after him, despite how many years had passed. It took me so long to get up on my feet, to stand tall again after the hurricane that was Kwon Jiyong.

No matter how much I wanted to distance myself, my affection for him remained the same.

We were just young and naive at that time. Looking forward to a life together so soon, but the life of a singer rarely reflected the one we dreamed of.

I desperately needed to get away for a moment.

[Jiwon’s POV]

For someone who deeply cherished his time at home, I felt in desperate need to get a breath of fresh air.

Even if a bit annoyed by this sudden urge, I wore an ‘i’m just a regular citizen’ disguise before fleeing my Yeouido apartment. “How is it possible to be this cold in September?”, I muffled under the face mask as I crossed my arms in an attempt to keep some warmth to myself. I sure was getting older.

The neighborhood of Yeouido was infused with that comfortable sense of familiarity, It was the place I could confidently call home. Soon enough, I decided to rest by a small statue on the riverside to take in the beautiful sight of Han River. What I liked about that particular spot was how perfect it was to look at the people strolling around, just carrying on their daily lives.

The mundane scenes gave a me sense of peace, lifting off the weight I usually carried in my heart, even if for just a while.

A sweet melody reverberated softly, emerging from the sound of cars passing by and crickets, capturing my full attention. I glanced to my left, a small woman was sitting under the same statue.

Wo ming bai, wo yao de ai.

I casually sat beside her, causing the poor woman to flinch at my sudden presence.

“Jiwon oppa? What are you doing here?”, Dara brought both hands to her mouth, recognizing me despite the disguise.

“Well— this is my neighbourhood after all”.

She nodded apologetically — “That’s true” — a nervous chuckle leaving her small lips as she hid in the big blue scarf covering her face.

“What about you? What are you doing here all alone?”.

“I just need to get some fresh air, I love staying at home but sometimes it feels…”.

“…suffocating?”.

“That’s exactly it!”. She rejoiced as if I’d stolen words right from her mouth.

I should’ve stopped being so surprised at how similar we were long ago.

Dara suddenly frowned. “It’s a pity that you can’t see that many stars from here”.

“Do you think aliens are real?”, I pointed at the vast darkness surrounding us.

“There are so many galaxies in this universe, I’m sure they’re out there somewhere”.

“RIGHT? THAT’S WHAT I’M SAYING!”.

An unfamiliar warmth grew inside of me. For once, someone seemed to agree with me at the thoughts others always deemed too outrageous.

“It’s funny”.

“What is?”.

“How you keep showing up in front of me at the unlikeliest of times”.

“H-huh? It’s not like I was following you!”. Dara whined, hitting me on the arm.

“It’s nice. To see you like this. That’s what I meant”.

My words seemed to spark a light in her eyes.

Without wishing for it, suddenly, I was in her life and she was in mine.

But how long would that last?

Her phone suddenly rang, disrupting the serene scene. Upon seeing the name of the caller, she heaved a long and frustrated sigh.

“Is your manager up your ass?”, I chuckled.

“Not my manager, but someone who keeps annoying me”.

“Leave it be then”.

The phone rang again, insistently begging for her attention.

She hesitated for a moment before taking a few steps away from the statue and taking the call she seemed to be avoiding.

“You really have to stop doing this”, Dara’s expression suddenly dimmed.

“Good lord…Okay, okay, I get it. Just wait for me and don’t do anything stupid. I beg of you”.

She stood there with apologetic eyes, a sight I slowly couldn’t stand to see on her.

“I’m sorry Jiwon-oppa, I really need to go right now. Be safe going back home!”, she excused herself before disappearing in a cab.

I knew myself pretty well: I was the kind of guy who avoided other people’s personal life like death, and yet, no matter how much I tried to refrain myself, I admit I managed to look at the caller’s name shining that bright light on her lucid eyes.

I kept wondering on my way back home.

Why was Jiyong calling her?

--------

an. As promised, here’s another update! I finally added Jiyong in the narrative, the drama is coming. Enjoy!

-------

MC Sook looked at the contestants diligently standing at the startling line.

"Since Team Minhyuk came first at the previous race, they will have a 10-minute advantage over the other teams."

The actors immediately proceeded with the obstacle race that awaited them at the huge park where the filming was taking place.

The dizziness added to the irregular breathing quicking picking up in pace made it especially hard to mask off that distress.

"Hyung said it only took 3 glasses of beer to take her home, can you believe it? One can't be so bad at drinking, she must be pretending only to cry victim after she realizes how easy she's been".

"N-no, that's not true!...".

Those words hadn't stopped chasing Dara all night.

"So... have you slept well?", Jiwon brought her back to reality with his casual attempts at breaking the silence between them.

"Well—", She exhaled deeply, "—I... actually had a hard time falling asleep, I don't know what's up with me lately".

"What do you mean?". His tone softened unexpectedly.

"I'm just... a little nervous!".

Lies.

She lied as she always did to divert people's attention from her inner world, the issues eating her from the inside.

"Hey— hey", he gently halted her nervous banter, "It's normal to feel a bit pressured. But we're doing well. Isn't it thanks to you that we managed to finish the race in time? You're half my size and still carried me on your back all the way through. You're crazier than me".

"Oh, the president is going to scold me for that, I can already hear him going 'Sandara! Why would you ruin your image on National TV!'".

The spot-on impersonation stole an earnest chuckle from him.

"Ack! Don't mind what that old man says, he only knows to complain and criticize", he continued, "It's easy to like you. You...make it easy".

Dara beamed an earnest smile and met his earnest gaze, one she still hadn't seen on his tsundere person.

Despite believing her, Jiwon sensed there was more to that.

"By any chance...do Min and Hyuk make you uncomfortable?".

The long silence proved his hunch right. Her smile seemed to dim every time they interacted with her, her expression would stiffen whenever Min insisted to make her drink. It was easy to overlook by someone who wasn't paying attention, but he was.

"I can talk to them if they are bothering you", he continued.

"That's thoughtful of you but that's no need for you to do that, I can speak for myself too", the young woman politely turned down the sunbae's help.

Jiwon quickly reminisced about all the times her frank words pierced right through him. All the times she stood up for herself. No matter how innocent she looked, she knew when to be fierce.

"I know you can...".

"Why do you even bother then?", Dara diverted her gaze, conscious of how cold she suddenly sounded in that moment despite his genuine concern.

Taken aback, Jiwon remained silent. He always had an answer to anything, but not to her.

"ATTENTION TO ALL TEAMS! A HIDDEN SUPRISE CARD HAS BEEN FOUND".

The loud intercom resounded all around the huge park.

"Us and the production didn't expect it to be found this early in the game, but I guess this race is full of surprises... This discovery might change the trajectory of the whole competition", Sook confessed.

"What's going on?", the celebrity cellist Goeun looked at the production team at the starting line for answers.

"Min found the SWAP CARD, this forces Team Min-Hyuk to swap partners with another of the competing teams".

Team Goeun-Jongwon and EunDara gathered around the small monitor that showed them Team Min-Hyuk.

"Min, go ahead! This will decide your fate!".

The young actor approached the wheel and gave it an energetic spin. Every segment showed a name of the remaining contestants.

The wheel kept spinning, feeding the suspense until it slowed down, the arrow hovering on each contestant's name.

"And the lucky partner for Min is... Sandara Park!".

"M—me?!", the realization dawned on the singer like heavy rain. It seemed as if destiny took a liking to

her misfortune. Like a trick of fate, she was paired with the last person she wished to be with.

Her eyes wandered around lost to find a producer's or writer's comforting gaze, anyone's.

"This is nonsense", Jiwon's expression tensed. He looked at her apologetically, as if he understood her discomfort.

"Will you be okay?".

Dara only replied with a forced smile, trying to shake the news off. She was a professional after all.

She hopped on a golf cart, quickly bringing her to her new teammate while Hyuk was escorted back to meet the others at the starting line.

"Sandara sunbae!", the curly-haired actor greeted her with the brightest of smiles and yet, she felt like a rabbit in the a wolf's cave. She just didn't know if he'd attack. They were at a variety show shooting, of course, he wouldn't act or say anything uncomfortable, or at least she hoped.

It wasn't too long when the other contestants started their own race to keep up with the team in the lead.

At each mini-game, Jiwon wouldn't fail to steal glances at the teammate stolen from him.

"Are you okay?", his eyes seemed to speak for him.

They were now competing against each other, and yet, Dara rejoiced whenever Jiwon managed to win against her.

It was mesmerizing to see in real life, how energetic and witty he was. No wonder he was dubbed the Variety genius. His experience added to Hyuk's quickness made them finish the mini-games way before her and Min and Jongwon and Goeun.

"Quick Noona! Get the boat before those two get to us!".

Dara pushed the yellow inflatable boat towards the artificial lake that distanced us from Jiwon and Hyuk at the top of the race.

They quickly wore life vests and sailed from the dock, checking the other contestants in the distance.

"Noona, after our win, we could totally go out and celebrate with a drink, I know a place nearby".

She hoped he wouldn't attempt until the very end. But unfortunately, his plan was already in motion.

Rage and disappointment mixed inside her, turning her into the disillusioned person she wished to never become.

"You know what Min?", she stopped rowing, a hint on iciness in her tone as she peered right through her new show partner.

"I heard it all yesterday, at the restaurant".

"N-noona?", the actor stopped rowing too, taken aback but the teammate's sudden confession.

"It's crazy how much fun bored people have when talking badly about others".

"I'm not following what you're saying", he denied, feeling caught.

Dara wasn't one to rejoice in other people's misfortunes, but Min's friend she used to date was accused of harassment and systematically shunned by the whole industry.

"You're such a rising star Min, don't risk your career like that friend of yours", she warned him with real concern for the colleague.

"So that's how it is" — Min chuckled nervously — "That's a pity Noona, I really wished to win those shoes with you but I guess it needs to happen before I plan to, it can't be helped".

"What are you talking about?".

"Oh you see, I'm the X-man so I won't need you anymore to win at the finish line".

Dara's heart fell to her stomach.

"Now that you know everything then you won't resent me for doing this".

The deep splash turned everyone's head towards the artificial lake.

"What was that?", the staff on-site questioned.

"SANDARA FELL FROM THE BOAT! I REPEAT, SANDARA MIN FELL FROM THE BOAT!".

You could spot an orange spot in the artificial lake, and Dara signalling "ok" with a hand, calming the safety guards ready to throw themselves in the water.

A satisfied smirk crept up the actor's lips. He quickly took Dara's paddle and vigorously rowed towards the other side of the lake, leaving the woman in the middle of the water.

"You're not getting away with this!", Dara managed to shout before Min distanced himself.

"Need a ride?".

Offering a helping hand, Goeun and Jongwon picked Dara up on their boat.

"The X-man has been revealed! You see, Min found a surprise card last time. The X-man is that special contestant that has the job to betray his own teammate to win the competition, which grants him a bigger prize at the end", MC Sook announced from the loud intercom.

"So he's the Spy huh, I guess there might be some benefits by competing as a single person instead of a team", commented Goeun.

"But who in their right mind would push their partner out of a boat?", an outraged Jongwon started rowing way more aggressively to take out his anger.

"He wanted to get rid of me to go after Hyuk and Jiwon since they're in the lead".

The three of them finally got to the dock connecting to the next section of the race, where Jiwon, Min and Hyuk were already dealing with a race course and obstacles.

"Thank you again for helping me out there", Dara hugged the duo with earnest gratitude.

"Don't mention it! And may the best win!".

Jiwon was sure a variety genius but he also recognized that he couldn't boast about his physical prowess anymore, slowing his team down and letting the others catch up to them.

"See you at the finish line", Min smirked as he got past them.

They were now standing at the top of a structure with an inflatable mattress beneath it to catch them from the fall. Hyuk jumped, quickly followed by Jiwon who, contrary to his younger teammate, stood up from the mattress accompanied by painful groans.

Dara was right after them, her experience in Real Man 300 sure toughened her, making her surprisingly more proficient at those obstacle courses. Yet the distance between her and the mattress below froze her body in place.

Jiwon turned around, sensing her hesitation.

"Dara! You got this, okay?".

"It looks... so tall", she shouted.

'll catch you, okay? On the count of three—".

"Okay, I'll just jump".

"What? Wait!".

The stability of the ground under her disappeared as she soared into the blue of that warm day.

Dara landed right in Jiwon's arms, knocking him down to the blue mattress.

Her mortified eyes found their way to his. Tingles spread right through her fingers, resting on Jiwon's chest. She melted in the splash of brown that were his worried eyes.

'are you okay?', he whispered

The intensity of their gazes made everyone feel like third-wheeling.

"Oh my! I'm so sorry", Dara immediately stood up from the close encounter.

"Don't be".

Dara just couldn't believe how cool and collected Jiwon was in the face of such episodes, ignoring his ears turning red as a tomato.

Hyuk sighed at the whole scene displaying in front of his eyes.

"Jiwon Hyung come on! We still have to get to Min!".

"Coming!", Jiwon fixed his now wrinkled tee and jogged to his teammate, not before beaming a soft smile to Dara.

The curly-haired actor was stalling at the next section which required the contestants to answer to random questions before being allowed to the last section of the race.

"Come on Min, just tell us "Hello" in another language", MC Jaesok encouraged him.

"Annyeonghaseyo, Hello, Konnichiwa, Ni hao...". He kept repeating those greetings, short of the last one to proceed.

Jiwon, Hyuk and Dara shortly caught up to him.

"Annyeonghaseyo, Hello, Konnichiwa, Ni hao and MABUHAY!" Dara quickly replied, resorting to her knowledge in tagalog.

Sechskies' leader couldn't help but smile, for how nervous she was about the show, she sure was doing great.

"What's the longest river in South Korea!", the MC proceeded with another question.

"Easy— That's Nakdong River!", Hyuk replied swiftly.

"Right! But since you're a team of two, Jiwon must answer another question correctly before you can pass through. The next person to reply correctly will be right after Dara to get to the finish line!".

Jiwon exchanged a daring look with Min, now more determined than ever to win.

"Next question! What was Lee Hyori's debut song?".

"How am I supposed to reply to that?", Min whined.

"What kind of question is that? It's 10 Minutes".

Jiwon responded in a relaxed manner. After all, that was right up his alley.

"Team Jiwon-Hyuk, you're free to go!", the two of them started sprinting towards the finish line, learning a scowl from Hyuk.

Dara was now followed closely by them and Min.

"AH!".

Jiwon tumbled down on the ground, painful moans escaping his mouth.

.

a.n. I deeply apologize for my absence but I'm finally at that point of my life where I can sit down and tend to all the stories I've left off on here. I just love how supportive Jiwon has become of Dara and found deeply satisfying how she stood up for herself (despite the betrayal right after). These chapters about the Variety Show sure have been daunting because of their "action" nature but we're near a point where we can exclusively focus on Jiwon and Dara's blossoming relationship. Enjoy!

.

I hated how much it gave me to think, wondering and wondering in circles 'till late at night. He used to get me so mad whenever he let those women slip away for some reason, what had changed?

My return to Korea was for my career only. Romance or silly escapades weren't part of my plans. I just couldn't afford it. I couldn't betray myself again. Not with a friend.

I stopped my fingers from tapping on the glass surface, realising how impatient I grew.

Resting my head on the cold dining table, I impatiently waited for Ian to get out of the shower.

"I might've scattered a bit of sand on your floors", he slicked back his wet hair with his fingers as he entered the living room where I was slowly losing myself in thought.

"Gosh—it's so late already", my glance fell onto the clock hanging above his head.

"Shit, you're right. I should head home".

Christian quickly collected all of his stuff and clumsily put on the pair of boots scattered at the entrance.

"It seems like you're dying to get out of here", I mocked him.

"I should let you rest. I think I've bothered you enough for today".

I caught myself staring a bit too long at the dimples appearing on his flushed cheeks as he chuckled lightly.

"Well, see you around I guess".

Closing the door, I thought I locked my doubts inside the house with me.

"Dummy". I caught a glimpse of his old leather jacket still hung up on the rack by the entrance. Perhaps I was still in time to stop the clumsy guy.

I quickly unlocked the door and shouted after him.

"IAN!".

Clueless, he hurried back to my doorstep.

"What's up?", he rested his hand at the top of the door frame, leaning in onto me.

"Jacket", I playfully wiggled the forgotten item in his face.

He hid against his arm in embarrassment, "Shit— that's mine, isn't it?".

"I fear it is".

We exchanged those lingering looks again, like a dangerous game of chess.

"Please don't", I internally pleaded, knowing well I couldn't stay too long on the verge of doing something I might've regretted the next morning.

"Well...I'll get going— again", he diverted his eyes, breaking off that painful tension.

That scene had played numerous times before. Saying our goodbyes at my door after watching another movie from his endless list of "must watch" or a quick lunch, it was so familiar and yet, that time was different.

I kind of wished it was different.

"The other night...what happened on the balcony..."— I bit my tongue — "Tell me it wasn't the alcohol".

He held his breath for a second.

"You know what? Just forget it"— All confidence left me as soon as I lost his eyes to the ground.

But then his warmth suddenly engulfed me as he grabbed me by my waist, bringing me closer.

Between love and delusion, I couldn't sort it out for the life of me.

He leaned in slowly, perhaps trying to read into my eyes but I honestly couldn't care less if that was a mistake on our end. All the pestering thoughts in my head vanished as his warm lips melted into mine. I could still taste the salt of the sea on him.

How could a simple kiss make someone feel so elated? How could I rob myself of his lips for all this time? I felt dumb for missing all those chances.

Ian looked through me as If he realized how much of a sucker I became for his dark eyes.

"It wasn't".

Sometimes I regret ever asking you that question. If I hadn't, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess.

.

.

I suddenly found myself amid her neighbourhood, as if my mind unconsciously brought me to Chaerin.

I couldn't help but look at her building as I rode by; the window of her living room stood out from the rest, lit by warm light despite the late hour, prompting me to stop.

.

It took just a couple of rings for her to pick up.

"Still up?".

"Ian?...".

"Look out of your window".

.

She rushed out to the balcony, clutching a colourful cardigan resting on her round shoulders and looked for me in the barely lit street under the building.

.

"What are you doing here? It's like 4AM".

"I guess I'm not the only one who can't sleep".

"It's just-...". Chae leaned onto the railway, a long and frustrated sigh leaving her as she couldn't come up with a justification.

"Just get your ass down here", I chuckled, looking up at her figure on the balcony.

.

✵

.

"You're insane," Chaerin said, grabbing the black helmet I threw her way and wearing it despite her tone of disapproval.

Seoul's grey skyscrapers passed us by, gradually morphing into empty fields, then rural villages by the road.

A comforting silence wrapped us all the way to the secret spot.

.

✵✵✵

.

Waves crashed sweetly on the golden foreshore, greeting us to the fragment of beach I held so dear.

"Well, this my secret spot, Miss Lee".

She took in the mesmerising pool of colours of the dawn with her dark eyes.

.

I didn't think I'd melt easily like that, but then I saw her taking the sneakers off, swirling on a serotonin rush and all of my beliefs instantly collapsed. The sweet view made a smile naturally creep up my lips.

.

"You're the first person I've ever brought here", I admitted.

"No way! How did you find it? It's just... breathtaking", she sat next to me, the wet fabric of the flowy sweatpants clinging to her skin.

"Well, me and my b-boy friends once sneaked out to get to the beach and... I lost myself. But I found this. So yeah, it was surely worth the half of an hour of panicking and running around in circles".

.

Chae chuckled at my juvenile misadventures before standing up.

"Come on up!".

I was left confused as to how such a small woman could drag a man double her size so easily towards the sea. Salt water splashed around as we played on the shore like kids. No worries, no thoughts in mind.

.

Sometimes I wonder if you reminisce about those times too,

when we still hadn't risked it all.

.

.

a.n. please don't mind the logistics of travelling from Seoul to the nearest beach by motorcycle, I just painted this poetic picture In my mind and wouldn't mind correcting It for the sake of realism so I Invoke your suspension of disbelief.

It only felt right to give them another "Intimate" moment to prove how close they are In this story. 

The song I found myself listening to while writing this Is “Stay Ready (What a life)” Jhenè Aiko