16

It wasn't like Youngjae wasn't used to waking up late, it was just that he never had a reason to.

In his head, this day had been smooth―he would dress quickly and quietly, pack a lunch, and strut through the front door like a knife in butter.

Instead, he'd found himself shaking with excitement(or nerves; he couldn't tell), to the point where he could barely buckle his pants, missing the loops multiple times. After that he’d pulled on his "nice jacket"―the woolen one with the fur hood he’d gotten as a gift last Christmas―and tiptoed downstairs with his emptied booksack, planning to store every slightly interesting thing he saw inside it.

After packing the sandwiches he had made the night before, he finally stood at the door. Every move he made caused him to flinch, the cold of the doorknob bringing on a full body shudder. The barely audible squeaks and groans sounded like alarms and bombs, and he felt like his heart might burst as he shut the door behind him and took off running, the world blurring around him as he ran for what felt like hours until his legs felt like jelly. Only then did Youngjae allow himself to collapse under a tree, grinning through the harsh gasps of cold air that burned at his throat.

For the first time in forever, he felt free. He yanked off his gloves, digging his hands in the snow and reveling in the feeling of the bitter cold numbing his fingertips, wondering how children could hold onto the snow long enough to throw it without freezing. As his breathing evened out, he took the time look around.

From up close, he could hear birds in the branches of the tree he was sitting under chirping from their nests. He pretended they were all greeting him, the sound of his breathing and their whistling making a tuneless melody. Putting his gloves back on, he ran his hands through the snow, looking for a stone. Picking the sharpest one he could find, he turned to face the tree and carved two giant 'Y's.

"For Yoo Youngjae." he thought. "Because this tree belongs to me only."

He thought about sitting back down, but through the branches he could just make out the sun slowly working it's way towards the center of the sky. He'd been sitting for too long. Time felt like it was slipping away, and if he sat any longer he'd miss everything.

He continued his journey, cooing and sighing at the sight of bunnies and squirrels and the occasional deer. He found himself filling his bag with trivial things like pine leaves and shed feathers; it didn't matter to him how stupid it seemed. The idea of being in the one place he wanted to be for years left him exhilarated and he didn't want to forget anything he'd seen.

Some time in between wandering around he'd heard a faint trickling sound, and excitedly followed after. It was then and there that he had came upon three very important things: a giant meadow, stretching as far as his eyes could see; a wide tree with leaves that should have fallen by then, with it being so late into the winter, but were instead as green and lively as ever; and the tanned young boy sleeping under it.

⁑

The first thing Youngjae's mind told him to do was run.

Run as fast as he could and not stop until he was in his room and being scolded for hours. He wanted to be scolded, he wanted his ma to spank his hands until they were burning red, and then sit in his room in the dark and replay the world around him from the safety of his own home. Then he would have supper while everyone stared at him in disappointment. Anything was better than being surrounded by what seemed like miles of land he knew nothing about.

For the first time―and Youngjae seemed to be having a lot of first times today―he wanted to go home .

But he couldn't just leave, could he? Those trees and this meadow had been waiting for him for his entire life. He'd spent years wondering what it looked like, what it sounded like, what it felt like, and now he was going to leave because of a stupid boy?

Youngjae glowered to himself. He had made it too far to give up now. Standing straight and tall, he marched his way across the empty field.

"That must be where the trickling sound was coming from," Youngjae mumbled in soliloquy, now close enough to notice the spring hidden behind the giant tree trunk.

He was also close enough to more clearly take in the boy’s features. He was noticeably tanned, with a strong but skinny figure. His slacks were a dulling black, and his shirt was small and white and clung tightly to his chest. On his head he wore a big waning hat, covering his face.

Youngjae sat down as carefully as he could, his heart beating nervously. Even the birds seemed to have quieted down, leaving nothing but him and the boy and the stream. What was he supposed to do now? It didn't feel right to wake him, but he didn't want to stare at him either.

Though, as the boy's head slowly lifted and met Youngjae dead in the eyes, it didn't seem like he had much of a choice.

"Are you just gonna sit there and stare?" the boy asked in a smooth country accent.

Youngjae felt his heart skip a beat, sputter, and then speed up all within a few seconds.

"This―Th-This is my property!" he squeaked, his voice coming out more scared than he'd intended.

Noticing the other's fear, the boy's face softened, and he quickly took off his hat. "Well, why didn't you say so? My apologies, my name's Daehyun. Daehyun Jung. I wasn't trying to steal nothing, swear." He reached his hand out in offering, and Youngjae shook it, too dazed to do refuse.

"I'm Youngjae. How come I've never seen you around here?"

Daehyun grinned so beautifully that Youngjae was grateful for the wind for having already previously reddened his cheeks.

"I'm not from here, I'm just visiting some relatives."

"By yourself?"

"Of course! How old do you think I am, seventeen?"

"Yes." Youngjae replied, nonplussed.

Like a light bulb had clicked on his head, Daehyun had let out a soft 'oh'.

"Well, in a way, I guess I am."

Youngjae could only stare at him. "You're weird."

The elder smiled in return. "I hear that a lot."

I'm not surprised, Youngjae thought, reaching into his booksack for his now flattened sandwich. Even if he thought the older boy was stupid and weird and practically a criminal, he still had manners. Southern Hospitality , his ma had called it. "Do you want some of my sandwich?" he asked, trying not to sound as reluctant as he felt.

The wide Daehyun Jung flashed him left him awestruck. "I think I like you, Youngjae."

⁑

As it turned out, Daehyun really liked food.

Like, really liked food. To the point where Youngjae couldn't help but hand over his half of the sandwich too, just to see the way his face would light up and his eyes would sparkle. Even as he stuffed his face, crumbs sticking to the side of his mouth and falling all over his clothes, he was still the most handsome person Youngjae had ever seen.

A handsome idiot, he decided.

He watched as the boy nudged at a rock from by the stream, a fountain of water shooting up from under it. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, he took three big gulps, and then wiped his on the mouth back of his hand, putting the rock back in place.

Youngjae looked between Daehyun and the rock, and then back at Daehyun, scoffing.

"You could've offered me some." he grumbled, reaching towards the hidden fountain, gasping when Daehyun had slapped his hand away.

"You can't drink that!' he wailed, his face stricken with panic.

Youngjae gaped at him. "But you drank some just now! And this is my property anyway!"

"Trust me Younjae, you don't want a of this water."

"I've known you for all of two minutes, and you broke into my property. Why would I trust you? I oughta go get the sheriff on you for trespassing."

Daehyun grabbed at Youngjae's shoulders, nearly knocking him over. "No no, please don't! I swear I wasn't trying to pull anything! Please don't get the deputy on me!"

"Daehyun?" a low voice called from seemingly nowhere. Both Daehyun and Youngjae's head turned towards the figure making its way towards them, and Daehyun cried out in relief.

"Hyung? Hyung, thank God you're here!" Daehyun stood, dusting his self off before grabbing Youngjae by the hand and pulling him away from the stream and straight past the man. "Hyung, wait for me, I'll only be a second." he yelled without looking back.

Too confused to ask any questions, Youngjae let Daehyun pull him all the way back the border before finally asking, "What are you doing?"

"You need to go home now, it's really late. The sun's already on its way down the sky, and your people are probably starting to get worried about you."

They'd slowed to almost a stroll by now, the estate where Youngjae lived in full view.

"But when am I gonna see you again?"

The question seemed to catch the older off guard, but he answered nonetheless. "Whenever you want to, whenever you can. Where there's a will, there's a way." He smiled a wide, toothy grin before running back the way he came.

Youngjae watched until he disappeared completely before making his way back himself, not looking back until he had safely made it inside.

He rushed up the stairs, pausing only to look at the grandfather clock in the foyer.

Only half past three.

Continuing to his room, he locked the door behind him and rushed to the balcony, dragging his stool all the way to the edge and then piling a couple of books on top, before finally climbing on top of them and squinting his eyes as hard as he could, eyes falling instantaneously on the speck that he now recognized as the meadow.

Where there's a will, there's a way. Youngjae repeated to himself.

this is my second time uploading this, pls leave lots of comments!!! sorry for any spelling errors