The cold of the stone pressed against his back was uncomfortable. Now, it was dark and sound of the high tide was deafening. Vernon couldn't believe the boy's voice had been able to relax him to the point where he fell asleep. He hadn't fallen asleep that easily, even lying on a hard rock, in months. 

    He wanted to hear more. More of that soft voice that had so effortlessly and unknowingly lulled him to sleep.

    Knowing he should make his way back to his hotel, Vernon sat up, brushed himself off, and began walking on the path. The wind whipped through his hair as he trudged back.

    When he fell asleep later that night, his last thought was of the afternoon sea and the boy. 

                                          __________________________________________________________________________________

    Vernon opened his eyes to early morning light streaming through the curtains. As he slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes, he realized he had no plan for the day. Blearily, he reached for the travel guide one of the helpful hotel employees had given him when he had shown up in the lobby looking a little lost. 

    He flipped through the pages eagerly, his eyes scanning each location mentioned. Vernon turned a page and then stopped, pausing when he saw a breathtaking picture of a lone rock sitting atop a green landscape, fog cresting at the tops of the mountains in the background. Hallasan National Park, he read.

    It looked perfect.

    Vernon decided that would be where he would spend his day.

    He gathered his things, ate a quick breakfast, and then grabbed a ride on the hotel's bus service to the park. As he rode, he stared out the window, still amazed at the view. 

    The bus finally arrived and a few short minutes later, Vernon began walking on the park's main trail. No one was around; he had the whole trail to himself. He peered up at the trees lining the path and the fog-lined mountains in the distance. It was relaxing, being alone in nature like this, no one to distra-----. Vernon suddenly heard a loud boom and then a yell as someone loudly emerged from the woods carrying a large tree limb and crunching leaves under their feet as they walked. 

    "...Can't believe I really tripped over this thing...Why was that sound so loud?" he heard the unknown person muttering as they walked out of the forest.

    "Why are there so many fallen branches that need to be picked up? This isn't a one person job!" the person said, increasing in volume with every word.
Vernon was so far away, he couldn't get a good look at the person, although they appeared to be a man. He quietly chuckled. It was kind of ridiculous: he was feeling so peaceful and then this person just emerged from the woods, loudly complaining. Although it was in a very different way than he had originally thought, his mind was surprisingly free of worry as he laughed.

    He continued walking forward, the man still muttering to himself, bent over examining the large branch he held. As Vernon began to walk past by him, his head suddenly whipped up. 

    "Are you a visitor to the park? I'm very sorry for the noise. I'm part of the park maintenance team and this is an uncrowded day generally, so I'm picking up branches and trash." 

    Vernon turned around at that, just as the man went into a bow. He returned the gesture and as the man rose back up, Vernon finally got a glimpse of his face. It was the boy he had seen the previous day by the rock. The one with the beautiful voice.

    Vernon just stared, not prepared to be asked about why he had been at the cliff-side. He then remembered that he had not been noticed. He let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

    Almost forgetting he had been asked a question, Vernon stumbled over a reply, "Um...Yes, I'm visiting the park today. And, i-it's fine. You didn't startle me too badly." He smiled and let out a small laugh.

    "Good! I'm sure I must have looked half-crazy, coming out of the woods like that. I can't believe I didn't notice someone was here," the boy answered with a laugh of his own.

    "It's fine. It just made me realize how easily peace can be shattered sometimes."

    The boy let out a sharp bark of laughter at that and glanced down at a watch on his wrist. "Oh! My shift's almost over; sorry to cut our conversation short. Thank you for being so understanding and come back to the park soon!"

    With that, the boy began sprinting, turning to wave at Vernon and nearly dropping the branch in his hands. He began carrying it with two hands and Vernon watched as he disappeared around a curve, clutching the log for dear life. 

    It was only morning and it had already been an eventful day for Vernon. Turning to continue his walk, he realized he hadn't gotten the boy's name. 

                                       __________________________________________________________________________________

    Later that day, after an uneventful rest of the walk, save for the beautiful scenery, Vernon made his way back to the hotel. It was late afternoon and the sea looked beautiful, beginning to swallow the sun in order to prepare for night. So, Vernon decided he would visit the cliff-side rock again. 

    He walked across the green grasses and when he arrived at the rock, he stared out at the ocean, thinking about the somewhat strange events of the day. His lips unconsciously twitched upwards as he thought about the boy. 

    Vernon slid down to lean against the side of the rock, sitting on the soft ground. The wind whirled around, lifting strands of his hair. Vernon listened to the sound of the waves beating against the cliff, and suddenly he heard a soft noise coming from behind.

    It was someone singing, their voice clear and lovely. Vernon immediately knew it was the boy. He wondered if he came here to sing everyday. 

    Enjoying the beautiful sounds, Vernon relaxed just like the day before. He listened to the lyrics being sung. It was a sad song about love. The boy eyes were closed, his expression serious and passionate. Vernon felt that the boy's demeanor at the moment was very different from earlier. He suddenly felt like he was intruding on something very private.

    He shifted to a position against the rock where he was completely hidden and continued listening. The singing went on for quite a while and Vernon's mind cleared. As abruptly as it began, it was over, the boy turning and walking back the way he came, not noticing Vernon for the second time. Vernon waited for a few minutes and then walked back as well.

     As he fell asleep that night, he wondered what made the energetic boy from the morning sing such a sad song with that kind of pained expression.