[1]

Through Sanghee's bedroom window came the brightness of day shine. She moved towards the rising sun, feeling the warmth kiss her skin. Her eyes remained glued to the pink and orange shade the sky was. Speckles of golden light scattered over the landscape like syrup on oatmeal. She had never watched it like this.

Multiple skyscrapers and buildings spread over her city, overshadowing nature's work ungraciously. In this foreign place, a place as close to home it could be, she, for the first time, was able to witness a sunrise without barriers or interruptions.

This simple thought caused a sense of comfort to wash over her cluttered emotions, quickly replacing her fears with ease. An invisible smile erupted on the edges of her rose-colored lips. Today was the start of a brand new day, one of which was pure bliss and peace.

Turning towards the dressing table, Sanghee began reaching for her comb. A flash of alarm appeared in her eyes upon noticing the book resting on its spine, a telltale sign of life. She suddenly stumbled back from the sudden remembrance of a memory buried in the depths of her mind.

Last night's dream felt so real that she was confused upon waking up. The presence of a mysterious man, his unforgettable voice, and every single one of his movements magically recollected. Almost as if...

"Abditory," His lone voice whispered, again and again, and again.

It was never a dream.

Sanghee didn't dare move nor breathe. She was completely frozen to the spot. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears, unable to distinguish the sounds between herself and someone pounding at the door.

Without receiving an answer from the room attendee, the door swung open to reveal a sweet face. "Good morning," Soyeon chirped, appearing brighter than ever. "Hope you slept well."

A realization struck Sanghee after placing two and two together. She lifted her head apprehensively to face Soyeon's pink face drained to a shade of peach upon seeing how distraught her guest looked.

"Someone was here last night." Sanghee declared, her eyes red and lips quivering with anxiety. "It wasn't my imagination nor a dream. Someone other than you and Sehun is living here."

Soyeon shut her eyes, a sigh of disappointment escaping her chest. If only her brother had listened the first time when she was against this entire idea of keeping his stupid little secret, which was impossible to keep in the first place. What was he thinking? It had barely been 24 hours, and the girl had managed to figure it out.

"Who is he?"

[2]

"Kim Jongin, you son of a--"

"How many times have I told you, Oh Sehun, that cursing is a sin."

"Whose job was it to pay the outstanding electricity bill?!" Sehun hissed, annoyed with his friend's consistent playful demeanor. "A power outage happened last night, and I had zero explanations prepared for our guest." He motioned towards the ceiling in annoyance.

On Jongin's head was a grubby white baseball cap pulled a little too far down. He shamelessly grabbed an apple from the fruit basket placed in the center of the dining table before answering, "I didn't expect your so-called cousin to arrive that soon." His head tilted towards his own feet, and it had the effect of hiding his eyes altogether. "You should have informed me beforehand."

Sehun briefly paused. To everyone else, this guest wasn't the daughter of a military official, but a relative from his deceased mother's side who had spontaneously decided to spend the summer with her dear cousins. A temporary title was given to hide Sanghee's true identity. An identity he couldn't risk Jongin ever knowing.

"You were out since midday..." Sehun showed signs of relaxation, his voice turning from abrupt to solemn in seconds.

"I had very, very important matters to take care of."

The emphasis his housemate placed on the word very caused him to grow curious. "Please enlighten me." Sehun requested, seating himself down.

There was a glint of mischievousness in Jongin's eyes. He rested his arms against the wooden chair across his friend. Leaning forward to meet Sehun's gaze, he grinned, "Heard of the name Park Sungho before?"

Sehun furrowed his eyebrows, the name sounding a lot more familiar to himself than expected. "The CEO of Seoul Race Park?"

"The one and only." As usual, instead of replying with a straightforward answer of yes or no, Jongin went on further. "Does that pique your interest even more?" Without waiting for a reply, he shook his head in agreement. "I would think so too."

Sehun rolled his eyes to the back of his head. "Get to the point, will you. I don't have all day, chop-chop!" He clapped.

"I may or may not have swayed him towards investing in not just one," Jongin used his fingers to show the amount visually. "but two of our precious stallions."

"How much did you secure in the bag?"

"₩220000."

Sehun inhaled deeply in response, clearly disappointed with the outcome. The two hadn't worked their blood, sweat, and tears to train the horses, only to be offered half of what the mammals were genuinely worth. With the thought of this turning into an argument, he got up from his seat, ready to walk away.

"Add a couple more zeros to that, perhaps give or take." Jongin winked, breaking into a dazzling smile.

Sehun's head snapped in his friend's direction. ₩22000000?!

"Yes, you heard me correct," Jongin confirmed, biting into his apple. Lifting his cap off his head, he ran his fingers through his brown streaks, passing over a triumphant smile whilst chewing.

A couple of seconds later and out of nowhere, Sehun unexpectedly jabbed Jongin in his abdomen. That was not the type of reaction Jongin was expecting. He expected a gold medal out of appreciation, hell! Even a pat on the back, not a hit on the most sensitive part of his body.

The apple in Jongin's palm fell to the floor, hands now moving to clutch his stomach. "Bastard, You should be thanking me." He groaned in the lowest register.

At first, Sehun hesitated, guilt seeping through his veins. "You should have given me a straight answer," He retorted. "Why do you always beat around the bushes? You know for a fact that riles me up."

Jongin composed himself. Reaching out, he pinched Sehun's cheek until it turned purple. "Why do you think I do it in the first place, sweetheart."

"I can't even stay mad at you anymore..." Sehun said, slapping Jongin's hand away, which in return stifled a laugh.

"Oh, my brother from another mother, tell me something I don't already know."

This time Sehun playfully punched Jongin's arm, his lips breaking out into a stretch, finally letting himself loose. "Alright, give me the details. How did you manage to get hold of THE Park Sungho in the first place?"

Jongin looked down, staring at his unfinished apple a little thoughtfully. "A good player never shares his tricks."

[3]

Though Sanghee could feel lonely in a crowded room, in the countryside, she felt at home. Not that she liked isolation, but in the gleeful song of small birds and blooming blossoms, she could feel at peace.

After a cold shower and changing into a sack-like print dress covered in orange dahlias, she didn't feel disturbed as she felt this morning. A lot more intrigued by the sudden turn of events once Soyeon had roughly spilled the details in case of any wrong ideas spurring a web in her mind.

She trudged along a path leading towards the expanse of green. The thundering of hooves split the silence as a stallion galloped through the bleak landscape.

Reaching the brown fence surrounding a harmonious rider and his racehorse, Sanghee rested her elbows above the wood as she watched in amusement. She observed discreetly with her head tilting and wavy hair flowing against the soft wind, spiraling out of control. It was indeed the same face she had witnessed up close in the late hours of last night.

She was mannerly enough to avoid gawking at random strangers. But this boy before her, radiating with nothing but grace, had her enthralled. She admired everything about him, from the way the breeze blew his hair and eyes as deep as the heart of the sea. And when those same eyes shifted and finally acknowledged her presence, it only further mystified