Chapter two: Autumn Air                                                                                          Colour: Green

“Follow me.”

The door of the passenger seat was opened rather forcefully and a wave of cool air hit Taeil’s skin. He didn’t ask any questions as he slid out of his seat. And he didn’t have to. His senses came alive as the sun hit his skin, his surrounding providing him with answers.
Where are we? Birds chirping filled the air, accompanied by the soft rustling of broad-leaved trees. Childhood memories of him walking through the forest with his parents flashed before his eyes, the sounds were all too familiar to him.
Carefully, he set a foot forward, not knowing what he’d step on. The crackling sound of wood beneath his shoes was like music to his ears.
Why are we here? The constant tug on the leash and the excited panting of his dog was a sufficient answer. But that wasn’t all there was to it. One of Taeil’s most defining characteristics was that he was filled with an inner turmoil that kept him restless sometimes and yearning for a more adventurous life. And that nervous spot in his heart was just throbbing at the thought of him going on an adventure today.

Light footsteps approached him, the cracking of wood creating a continuous rhythm.

“Let’s leave the dog in the car for a few minutes, I want to show you my favourite place.” The footsteps halted next to him. Heavy breathing hit his ear drum, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Knowing that Jihoon was close to him gave him a weird feeling of safety.
Taeil shifted his weight from one feet to the other. Words were left hanging in the air and he was waiting for Jihoon to give a voice to them.
“I’ve never shown it to anyone before, but I think you’d like it.” Taeil could hear him drawing his breath in through gritted breath.
A thought crossed Taeil’s mind, and before he could cross it out, it had slipped past his lips: “Are you sure you want to show it … to me?”
“Yes.” Silence. A moment of hesitation, almost tangible. “You’re special.”

Only minutes had passed since Jihoon’s comment, yet Taeil could still feel his cheeks burning up. He hadn’t replied to him, had just given him a genuine smile. Sometimes silence was the best answer. No words could have expressed how he had felt. How Jihoon made him feel in general. How he caught himself hoping to find excuses to touch him. How his hands got sweaty, even now, in the cold autumn air.
They were walking in a comfortable silence, slowly but steadily making their way through the undergrowth. The sweet melody of birds chirping accompanied each and every step. Now and then their hands would brush against each other, just for a brief moment, but to Taeil it felt like an eternity each time. The cold air was cutting into his nostrils, but the mixed feelings of tension and excitement kept his insides warm.
Like the earth orbiting around the sun, he held his head high at all times and turned it towards the light, seeking out the sun rays. Although he couldn't see anything, he had enough eye sight left to notice the little changes of lighting whenever the sun hid behind leaves.
“Oh, be careful!”
A breath of wind went passed him as Jihoon dragged him to the side. Taeil was confused for a second, but given that they were in a forest, Jihoon had probably helped him dodge a tree. He took a deep breath, only noticing now how tightly Jihoon’s grip was on his arm.
“Maybe we shouldn’t have gone to the forest after all, huh?” Jihoon let go of his arm, still breathing a bit more heavily from the sudden movement. Or was he just nervous too?
“S-Sorry…”
“It’s not your fault, I should have thought of that. And there’s a simple solution to this.” Confidence resonated in his deep voice and his next action underlined that even further. Jihoon took him by surprise, grabbing his hand and guiding him through the messy undergrowth. For the next few minutes, he was his second pair of eyes. His only pair of eyes, anyways.
Skin rubbed against skin as they continued their journey, swaying their arms slightly while walking. Taeil’s heart jumped in his chest to a point it was almost painful. The simple fact that Jihoon, the man who fascinated him like nothing else, was holding his hand filled him up with nervous excitement. When they eventually reached a path and Taeil stepped on firm ground, his heart dropped at the thought that Jihoon would let go of his hand any moment. But to his surprise, he didn’t and so they walked hand in hand, hearts beating in unison, a thousand words left unsaid.

“Here, sit down.”
The younger man helped him position himself on the ground underneath. The grass between his fingers was still wet from the morning dew. He grabbed a handful of it as he leaned back, enjoying the feeling of blades of grass between his fingers.
With a loud thud, Jihoon planted himself next to him.
“C-can you describe to me what you’re seeing?” Taeil raised his voice, finally breaking the silence and drowning out any thoughts of self-doubt that were lurking in his mind.
Jihoon chuckled lowly, nudging his shoulder as he replied: “Of course.”
“We’re sitting on a small meadow in the forest, the grass beneath us still lush green and- I’m sorry, do you still remember colours?”
“I still remember green.”
“Got it.” It was silent for a moment, Jihoon seemingly gathering his thoughts.
“The treetops at the side of the meadow are reaching into the sky like pillars and their leaves are swaying in the wind, different shades of green intermingling with each other. The wind is balmy today, can you feel it?” He halted for a moment, letting Taeil take all the sensations in. And indeed, he did feel it. The small hairs on his arm moved as the wind kissed his skin.
“Tendrils are growing around a few tree trunks, entwined like lovers. Shadows are casting spells on the small amount of flowers left at the edge of the meadow. They have wilted already. Most of the trees are still holding on to their green leaves, but a few have shed their cloak already and golden leaves are covering the path we walked on earlier. Nature seems a bit immobile here, untouched and wild. Warm sunlight engulfs the whole area and it creates a sort of atmosphere… Like you had taken a part of your home with you.”

By the time the last words had left his lips, Taeil’s arms were covered in goose bumps. His words had been like balm on the soul.

“That was beautiful,” Taeil breathed. “Like you had drawn a picture with your words.”

“Apparently I’m very good at that.” He laughed loudly and the deep vibrations shook in Taeil’s bones.

Keeping his serious expression, he plucked up his courage and tapped on Jihoon’s shoulder.

“What do you see now?” His finger was pointed at his petite self, his adam’s apple jumping in his throat as he gulped hard.