Eun-Ae pursed her lips as she leaned forward slightly, holding her dripping hair in her hands and twisting tightly to wring out the excess water. The droplets splashed into the grass, covering them with glistening droplets that sparkled in the relentless sun. However, the heat was much more tolerable after spending the last hour swimming in the small lake on the farmer’s property. A sheen of moisture still remained on Eun-Ae’s skin, making her clothes cling slightly to her body and abate the piercing rays that shone down from the sky above. Though the protective layer wouldn’t last for long, clouds were beginning to move in, fluffy white structures that blotted out the blue sky and would soon eclipse the sun and most of its intensity. Eun-Ae was immensely grateful for that as she rubbed her hands on her shorts, leaving behind a stain in the shape of her handprint.

“Well, there’s only about an hour left until sunset,” the farmer frowned as he glanced at the watch on his wrist. “Is there anything else you kids would like to see?” Before they could answer, the sound of a horse whinnying danced over the breeze, bringing a smile to Eun-Ae’s face. She took off up the hill, half-running, half-climbing towards the sound of the animal’s neighing until she came upon a wooden fence. She pushed herself onto her tip-toes to peer above the top bar, eyes shining with happiness as she spotted the large but graceful creatures grazing in the meadow enclosed within.

“Horses!” she cried breathlessly. Her eyes followed their movements as they trotted through the long grass, swishing their long tails and tossing their maned heads as they played together. Eun-Ae was oblivious to the sound of the boys complaining about her sudden departure until they appeared at the top of the hill, huffing and puffing and out of breath. Key walked up next to her, leaning one arm on the top of the fence as he smirked down at her.

“Eun-Ae, I didn’t know you liked horses that much,” he commented. The girl nodded happily, not taking her eyes of the beautiful equines.

“Yes! That’s the entire reason that I wanted to come here today,” she admitted. “I have always wanted to ride one,” she remarked as an afterthought. A slow grin began to spread over Key’s face, the kind he always made when he was going to do something Eun-Ae probably wouldn’t approve of.

“That so?” he smirked, then whistled at the farmer to get his attention. “Mister, do you think you could arrange a ride for us?” he inquired politely. Eun-Ae gasped, suddenly intimidated by the creature’s size, and began a string of rapid refusals. Key just laughed and grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her along behind him as he followed the farmer through a gate and into the enclosed pasture. The old man brought over a horse, a beautiful specimen with a honey-gold coat and chestnut mane. White spots dappled its side, matching its white-tipped snout and hooves. “Up you go,” Key grinned as he suddenly scooped Eun-Ae into his arms, hands under her knees and middle just like a knight would carry a princess. She cried out in alarm as he hefted her onto the horse, stiffening at the suddenness of being up so high. The horse felt enormous underneath her, and she could feel the sheer power in its muscles.

“Key, do you even know how to ride a horse?” she squeaked as he climbed up behind her, swinging his leg over the side and pulling himself up into the saddles. He grabbed the reins with a wink.

“No idea!” he laughed. “What better time to learn, though?” he mused as Eun-Ae’s mouth fell open in shock, and she fidgeted in the saddle, completely unsettled by the entire situation. Oh, why do I always get myself into these situations? Knowing him, he’s going to go too fast and we’ll get thrown off! She fretted silently, half-listening to the farmer’s careful instructions. The other boys had climbed up onto horses with varying success; though Jonghyun climbed onto the horse with ease, Taemin had gotten his foot twisted into the stirrups and fallen flat on his back into the dust, bringing up a cloud of dust behind him. As soon as Onew had climbed onto his horse, it had been spooked and taken off into the gallop, leaving him screaming and hanging onto dear life while the farmer chased behind in an effort to calm the beast. Minho was sitting upright, tense and holding the reins tightly and flinching every time the horse moved. Key was the only one who seemed completely at ease, patting the horse’s side and murmuring kindly to it. If he had not admitted to being a first-timer beforehand, Eun-Ae would have sworn that he was quite used to handling horses.

“All right. Do I need to repeat anything?” the farmer inquired, bringing Eun-Ae back to reality. Before she could request a rehashing of the instructions, Key grinned and snapped the reins, sending the horse into a quick trot out of the pen. Eun-Ae gasped as she lurched forward, but Key’s arm slid around her just in time, holding her securely in the saddle.

“Just lean back,” he instructed with the faintest hint of a satisfactory smile as he pulled her back against him. Eun-Ae immediately blushed at the contact, but involuntarily grabbed onto his arm as their speed increased. He smiled gently down at her, holding the reins aloft as he guided the horse down a worn trail. The other boys followed behind, caught up in conversation as they slowly picked their way after Key. After a few minutes, Eun-Ae grew accustomed to the feeling of the horse’s movement and the slight rush of the wind, and even the feeling of Key holding her securely in place. This… Actually isn’t so bad. “So, Eun-Ae? What do you think?” Key asked her. Heat rose to her cheeks as his breath danced over her ear, as his face was so close. “Eun-Ae?” he repeated.

“Oh! Y-yes, it’s quite nice after all,” she stammered and dropped her face in embarrassment. She suddenly became aware of the lack of noise surrounding them, and she looked up to find that she and Key were alone on the trail. “K-Key? Where’s everyone else?” she cried in alarm.

“Huh? Oh, they were slow, so I left them behind. It’s just us,” he grinned, sounding much too happy at the turn of events. He was grinning stupidly, like he had planned it all along. You’re a rascal, she thought, huffing and looking forward again. “What? You mad at me?” he whined as he propped his chin on her shoulder, looking at her with teasing feline eyes. “Come on, admit it, you wanted to spend some alone time with me.”

“You flatter yourself,” she lied. She had to admit, it was nice being with just Key, riding through the open countryside without a care in the world. Whether he picked up on her blatant falsehood or not, he just laughed and snapped the reins, sending the horse into a gallop. Eun-Ae cried out in alarm as they shot forward, the wind rushing past them and sending her hair flying in all directions. She jumped in and out of the saddle as the horse galloped down the trail, down into a grassy meadow filled with wildflowers. It was there that Key finally brought the horse to a stop, much to a very frazzled Eun-Ae’s relief. She sat there, stunned and spitting her hair out of , as Key dropped down from the horse. She blinked as he held a hand out for her, hesitating before taking it and allowing him to help her down. She landed unsteadily on the spongey earth, holding tightly to Key’s hand as she steadied herself.

“Wow,” she murmured as she gazed in wonder at the scene. The meadow was in full bloom, alive with all colors of the rainbow. A multitude of flowers danced lightly in the breeze, shining with pinks and whites and golds that accented the fresh green grass nicely. The blue sky blazed overhead, spotted with fluffy white clouds. “How beautiful,” she remarked.

“Yeah,” Key agreed, and when she turned to look up at him she was astonished to find that she was staring intently at her. Blushing, she attempted to fix her hair.

“Wh-why did we stop here?” she asked timidly, anxious under his intense gaze.

“Well, I figured we should give the others a chance to catch up. The trail leads right here, so they’ll be here eventually. Plus, the horse needed a break,” he explained as he patted the horse’s side. It snorted and meandered away, nibbling at the long blades of grass. “Riding made me pretty tired myself, actually,” he sighed heavily as he flopped onto his back in the grass, sending a cloud of pollen and flower petals into the air. He patted the spot next to him expectantly, and with some reluctance she eased herself down onto the ground beside him. He rested one arm behind his head, the other resting on his stomach as he stared up at the blue sky above. He had a thoughtful expression on his face, but Eun-Ae had no idea what he was thinking; everything he did befuddled her. One moment it seemed as if nothing had changed, as if he were the Key she had always known, and the next it seemed like he was totally different, gazing at her with those heat-filled eyes that shook her to her very core. She confused herself, too. Her feelings were all in disarray, and she was dangerously straddling the border between deep friendship and romantic attraction. How do I feel about him? How does he feel about me? she wondered as she gazed at him. She jumped lightly when he turned to look at her, smiling. “What? Do I have something on my face?” he teased lightly.

“N-no,” she answered, embarrassed she had been caught staring. “I was just wondering what you were thinking so hard about.” He smiled and pointed up at the sky, and she followed the path of his finger to a fluffy cloud.

“I was just thinking how nice it would be to be a cloud. Just floating along, without a care in the world, forever,” he remarked quietly. Eun-Ae stared at him for a moment, then turned her gaze to the sky above and watching the fluffy shapes trace their way across the endless blue sea.

“They don’t last forever, though,” she replied after a long while. “Eventually, they’ll just fade way, torn apart by the wind or dumping everything they have in a rainstorm. Nothing lasts forever, really,” she sighed. They’ll fade away, just like you… And just like me.

“Well, if you think about it, everything lasts forever,” he retorted. She looked at him, her eyebrows raised as she waited for an explanation. “Take a cloud, for example. Even though it’ll be ripped apart, it’ll just become another cloud- or, if it becomes rain, that rain becomes something else. It flows into a river, which flows into the ocean, or it’s taken up by a plant like this pretty flower here…” he murmured, brushing his fingers across the petals of a nearby wildflower. “Just moving along, from one thing to the next, for eternity. Infinite possibilities.” Eun-Ae fell silent, struck by his outlook.

“Hmm,” she smiled suddenly, taking the flower and sniffing at it. The sweet scent filled her body, putting her at ease. “I never thought about it that way. That’s a very good way to look at it,” she remarked as she let the flower go and looked up at him. Even if I’m gone, I’ll last forever. Still… I wish I could just stay forever in this moment, she thought, and the way Key looked at her, with a mixture of sadness and happiness, she was sure he was thinking the same thing. Before they could say any more, however, the sound of Taemin calling their names floated down the hill. Key stood and held out a hand, pulling her to her feet. Eun-Ae waved excitedly to the four boys picking their way down the trail towards them, holding onto Key’s hand tightly.

This summer will end… But these memories last forever, don’t they?