They woke us up at five thirty since we’re going to hike the mountain and honestly, I think I just had a five minutes sleep. I’m still really sleepy that I thought my eyes would be burnt when I blink. Even though the other people were also the same since they spent their nighttime outside the tent without the teacher knowing.

Mingyu’s smile greeted me when I got out from my tent and saw him across me. He was still with his (extremely hot even though it’s messy) bed hair, and half closed eyes. He waved to me, tilting his head a little to the right, and smiling really wide showing his sharp canines.

The teacher told us to wash ourselves but I couldn’t find my shoes, it was just my flip flops there. No way I have to hike the mountain with the flip flops?

I just acted like nothing happened to me and went to the shared washroom with Kwon Byul. I hope that the thieve would give me back my shoes like what happened earlier. Please, I’m begging.

“Where’s your shoes?” Kwon Byul asked.

“I don’t know, it’s gone.”

“Then tell the teacher, Nara.”

I haven’t said anything but she ran to the teacher’s tent, telling them that I lost my shoes. After that, the teachers told us to find my shoes and I felt really bad for them since they also had to prepare for the hiking.

“I can’t find your shoes anywhere, Nara.” Mingyu said, after finding my shoes to literally all the tents. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t want to stay in the tent either since it’s scary. I will just join you all with the flip flops.”

“You know it’s dangerous for your feet?”

“I know, but I’m going to walk slowly.”

“Okay, I’m going to walk with you then.”

“For all the students who has asthma, or anything that will cause a thing when we’re hiking later, please just stay in the tents.”

We were all looking at Vernon but he looked annoyed and thought that he’s okay since he has the inhaler now. But still, the teacher insisted him to just stay in the tent.

“I’m okay, Teacher. Really, you can scold me if something happens later.”

“Alright, if something happens, you have to pack your things and go home. Understand?”

Wow. That’s mean, but Vernon was still calm. Kwon Byul was the one who felt really worried instead. She kept telling him to just stay and she will be with him, but Vernon said, “I’m okay. I’m a guy, Kwon Byul. I can take care of myself.”

“And Kim Nara, if you really insisted to join, your consequence is the same as Vernon. Understand?”

No. the grand event is tonight, I have to spend the time with Mingyu and not going home by myself. “Yes, teacher.”

We were standing in line for the attendance check, but I found that Mingyu’s really worried like his mind are all over the place? He kept looking at the girls’ section with his worry face and I could make sure that he wasn’t looking at me, at all.

I know that he’s extremely worried since he kept biting his lips, blinking his eyes rapidly, frowning his eyebrows, and his eyeballs are moving left and right. What’s bothering him?

“Keep on track! Don’t separate from each other!” the teacher’s leading the way, and the students are following them behind.

“Nara, are you really okay?”

“I should be the one who ask, Mingyu. Are you okay?”

“Of course I’m okay, I’m the leader anyway.”

But his face says the opposite.

People kept walking faster, or I was the one who kept walking slower? Since they’re all in front of me now and Mingyu’s still walking slowly beside me. I feel like I’ve been a burden to him since he’s the leader and he should’ve lead the other students too, not just me.

He held my hand, telling me million times to take a rest since he knows how hard it is to hike with a flip flops. But I can’t. If I stopped then we’ll lost the track and the teacher will send me home, and I don’t want to do that. I want to spend the last night with Mingyu here.

“Are you tired?”

I shook my head, “You seems tired, and confused, Mingyu.”

“I’m not, Nara.”

“You are. You know you can’t lie to me.”

“I’m not lying, I’m okay.”

“Then, I’m also okay. Stop telling me to take a rest.”

Honestly, I’m not okay, not even a little bit. The rocks on the ground kept hitting my feet since my flip flops are really thin. And I kept slipping myself. My feet hurts so bad, but I can’t complain. I don’t want Mingyu to feel worry since he also has to take care of other students in the team.

“Why don’t you just stay at the tent? You make our team lost the track since you’re so slow, Kim Nara!” one of the girl finally complained, and I couldn’t say anything since it’s really my fault.

“Isn’t it less tiring if we walk slowly? What’s the point of walking faster? Let’s look at the beautiful scenery for a longer time.”

They were listening to Mingyu and smiling right away. Geez. The power of Kim Mingyu. Anyone would melt right away after hearing his voice and looking at his smile. No wonder there are so many additional people who hates me now.

“Park Nayeon! She needs help!” one of her teammates shouted to us, since the teachers were already far.

I couldn’t believe that the first one who ran to that team to help Nayeon was Mingyu. He told Joshua to run and call the teacher while he was searching something from Nayeon’s pocket; turned out it’s her inhaler.

Nayeon also has asthma? And Mingyu knows that? So, he was worrying her for all this time?

He was taking care of her like he already know everything about her and my heart hurts a little bit seeing him like this. I know that he just loves to help other people, but I’m afraid that Nayeon actually knows Mingyu better than me, that she might know something that I don’t know?

I was standing in front of him but he didn’t even look at me. He was busy giving Nayeon his jacket, piggy backing her back to the tent.

“The rest of you, keep walking slowly and don’t force yourself!”

“Nara, you don’t have to force yourself.” Kwon Byul and Vernon quickly changed their team to mine after seeing Mingyu left.

“And let the teacher send me home? Nope. I’m going to walk slowly instead.”

“You know what? There’s no use to tell Kim Nara what to do.” Vernon said.

“What sin did I do? Both Nara and you never listen to me.” Said Kwon Byul, then Vernon held her hand after that.

I feel like I’m being a burden to every one since my team kept slowing the pace for me, and I heard some people talked about me as they walked passed and leaving me behind.

“It’s okay, both of you can walk faster, just leave me.”

Kwon Byul reached my hand instead, “Where’s the old Kim Nara? I thought she could survive strongly in any situation?”

I know, I’m usually not this melancholy and weak. Maybe it’s because my mind is keep thinking about Mingyu and what is he doing now with Nayeon. I used to be strong, and hated to lean on someone. I used to hate being offered a hand to help, but now, I often wait for Mingyu to offer his hand.

“Seems like people – especially you – forgot how close Mingyu and Nayeon were, before Mingyu started to follow you around and avoid Nayeon.”

“I love how you just spill everything no matter how bad my mood is, Kwon Byul.”

She laughed, “It’s a given how I could read your mind right away. Don’t worry, they’ve known each other way before Mingyu followed you around. Maybe Mingyu was just really worried about Nayeon? Since I was always like that to Vernon. Asthma made him like he’s dying.”

“Don’t forget the fact that Nayeon told me that I don’t know anything about Mingyu.”

“At least he chose you in the end?”

“I two timed him, and I’m afraid that karma will hit me like a truck.”

“Do you think Mingyu will stupidly choose Nayeon over you after all the things that happened to both of you?”

“But… he seemed attached to Nayeon?”

“Attached my . He is avoiding Nayeon all the time.”

“No, I mean, he’s physically avoiding her but his mind is wandering, searching for her.” Kwon Byul wrapped my arm around her shoulder, then Vernon also did the same to shoulder. Both of them were supporting me to walk since I really couldn’t feel my feet anymore.  “Thank you.”

“Stop being insecure, Kim Nara! I really don’t know about you anymore. And Vernon, why don’t you say anything? You know almost everything about them!”

“Do you think Nara wants to hear that, huh?”

I nodded, “Tell me the things that you can tell. But if Mingyu told you about the secrets, just keep it by yourself.”

“Actually some of the things aren’t even a secret? People who followed Mingyu around would know about this?”

Right. Mingyu has some people who followed him around, giving him gifts and all. And they probably knew something about Mingyu that I don’t even know.

“What was that?”

“Remember, back to the time when people shipped Mingyu and Nayeon? Telling them that they matched with each other since both of them are pretty kids?”

I nodded.

“Nayeon took the words a little too far, thinking that Mingyu really likes her since, you know, Mingyu loves to help people.”

“I know. He’s the best at giving people a hope.”

“And the fact that they kissed once? Was that once? Whatever. Yea, that didn’t help either. Nayeon thought Mingyu kissed her for something, and she thought he dumped her because of you, Nara.”

“Why do I always think that they did more than a kiss?”

“I know! Boys’ hands are just can’t stay still while kissing girls. It keeps wandering.” Kwon Byul added, making me feel worse.

“You sure have the best friend, Nara.” Vernon said, sarcastically.

“No wonder your girlfriend never ranked above the 100^th.”

“Anyway, don’t think about Mingyu and Nayeon right now. You know, Mingyu just love to help people? You can’t deny that Mingyu used to be really close, no way Mingyu would leave her in that situation, Nara.”

“I know. Thank you, Vernon.”

***

We arrived to the tents safely, even though I couldn’t move my feet now. The teachers told me to just go home since they don’t want anything worse happens to me, but I insisted to stay. I just had to give a rest to my feet and massaging them, and I’ll be okay, I hope.

But I couldn’t find Mingyu anywhere, even until the sky started getting dark. Even with this situation, I’m still trying to walk to boy’s tents to find Mingyu and he’s still nowhere to be found.

Seungcheol and I were exchanging gaze, and he looked like he’s worried. I don’t know what happened to him and what’s he going to say to me, seems like it won’t make me feel better.

“Nara.” He followed me, grabbing my wrist.

“The grand event will start soon, Seungcheol. You have to prepare the fireworks and the firewood now.”

“How’s your feet?”

“It’s getting better.”

“I don’t think it’s going to get any better if you keep walking around, searching for Mingyu.”

“I just want to know where’s he.”

“Stop searching. He’s going back to the town to send Nayeon home along with Song Mino.”

Even when Song Mino’s already with Nayeon, he’s still sending her home?

“Just take a rest, the grand event will start soon.” He said, and I nodded.

Then it was useless to keep walking in the mountain just because I wanted to enjoy the grand event with Mingyu when he’s the one who left me home. What did I do? I shouldn’t be doing that pathetic things, really. Since when Kim Nara does things for boys, huh?

Wow, I don’t know that I would spend time by myself looking at fireworks? And holding the urge to cry everytime I remembered about Mingyu? And couldn’t even move my feet properly because of him who left me with another girl?

I know that it wasn’t his fault to leave me since Nayeon needed him more than I needed him. But still, I feel hurt. He is my boyfriend, how could I not miss him?

***

a/n; my favorite words: 'kim mingyu just loves to help people' kkeut.